WB Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay Gets Recalled Amid Fresh Row Between Centre & CM Mamata Govt

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Kolkata: Amid a recent row between the Centre and West Bengal state authorities, West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay was requested to report back to New Delhi as his companies had been sought there, a transfer termed by the ruling Trinamool Congress as “forced deputation”.

This determination got here in precisely 4 days after he was granted an extension.

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Bandyopadhyay, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre, was scheduled to retire on May 31 after completion of 60 years of age.

However, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to grant Bandyopadhyay an extension for no less than six months as he had in depth expertise with respect to dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, with the specter of Cyclone Yaas additionally coming in.

He was granted a three-month extension following a nod from the Centre.

On May 24, Banerjee, whereas asserting the extension, had stated: “Our chief secretary has got an extension for three months. We are happy because he has got the experience of working during last year’s Amphan as well as during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic”.

However, in a communique to the state authorities, the Personnel Ministry on Friday stated the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has permitted the location of the companies of Bandyopadhyay with the Government of India as per provisions of the Indian Administrative Service (cadre) Rules, 1954, “with immediate effect”.

The Ministry additionally directed Bandyopadhyay to report back to the Department of Personnel and Training, North Block, New Delhi by 10 am on May 31, whereas asking the state authorities to alleviate the officer with fast impact.

The IAS cadre rule says a cadre officer could, with the concurrence of the state governments involved and the central authorities, be deputed for service underneath the central authorities or one other state authorities.

“Provided that in case of any disagreement, the matter shall be decided by the central government and the state government or state governments concerned shall give effect to the decision of the central government,” it says.

The Trinamool Congress has spoken up in opposition to the order claiming that the choice to hunt Bandyopadhyay’s companies was as a result of the folks of the state gave an awesome mandate to the chief minister.

Trinamool Congress MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy described it as “forced central deputation” of the chief secretary and requested, “Has this ever happened since Independence? Forced central deputation of a chief secretary of a state? How much lower will Modi-Shah’s BJP stoop?”

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh stated the choice was taken to derail the nice work accomplished by Bandyopadhyay, “a true soldier of Mamata Banerjee”.

“The BJP is yet to accept their loss in the assembly elections and that is why they are doing such petty politics. This is nothing but vindictive politics of the BJP,” he claimed.

“At a time when Bengal is facing the Covid pandemic and the devastations caused by Cyclone Yaas, the central government is trying to make the people of the state suffer. They are acting like an enemy of the people of Bengal,” Ghosh stated.

On the opposite hand, BJP’s state basic secretary Sayantan Basu informed information company PTI that it was an administrative determination by the Centre. “It is an administrative issue involving two governments and the state BJP has nothing to comment on it,” he stated.

Bandyopadhyay grew to become the chief secretary of West Bengal after Rajiva Sinha retired in September final 12 months.

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PM Modi’s Review Meet

This order got here on the day when PM Modi visited Odisha and West Bengal to evaluate the state of affairs and damages attributable to Cyclone Yaas. West Bengal Chief Minister was earlier within the day reported to have skipped the evaluate assembly.

According to sources cited by information company ANI, West Bengal CM and Chief Secretary arrived late by 30 minutes for cyclone evaluate meet regardless of being in the identical premises. It has been reported that the CM upon coming into the evaluate meet handed over papers associated to the cyclone impression and left saying that different conferences had been lined up.

Sources near West Bengal CM stated that she was requested to achieve 20 minutes later from the unique schedule and later her chopper was moved round for 15 extra minutes. She was requested to attend when she reached, because the evaluate meet had began already.

CM Mamata together with Chief Secretary entered and greeted PM. They spoke to one another, she handed over the notes of damages, took his permission and got here to Digha. PM Modi was additionally informed that there is a evaluate assembly in Digha, they stated.

Several senior BJP leaders and Ministers resembling Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan have criticised CM Mamata Banerjee over the alleged conduct.

This is the second time that the Union authorities has invoked the All India Services Rule within the final 5 months. Earlier in December, the Centre had directed the West Bengal authorities to right away relieve three IPS officers in order that they might be a part of their new assignments on the Centre.

The officers, Rajeev Mishra (1996 batch), Praveen Tripathi (2004 batch) and Bholanath Pandey (2011 batch), had been directed to report on central deputation in December final 12 months after the West Bengal authorities refused to ship its chief secretary and police chief to Delhi to debate the legislation and order state of affairs within the state.

The three had been accountable for the safety of BJP President JP Nadda throughout his go to to the state for increase momentum for electioneering when his convoy was attacked at Diamond Harbour.

However, based on the officers, these three officers had been by no means launched by the state authorities.

(With inputs from businesses)



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