Former chief secretary of West Bengal Alapan Bandyopadhyay.
The Union Home Ministry has served a show-cause notice to former chief secretary of West Bengal Alapan Bandyopadhyay under a stringent provision of the Disaster Management Act that entails imprisonment as much as two years, amid a tug-of-war between the Centre and the Mamata Banerjee authorities over him.
A house ministry official mentioned that hours earlier than Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee introduced his retirement on Monday, Bandyopadhyay was served the notice for refusing to adjust to lawful route of the central authorities in violation of Section 51-B of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
The officer has been requested to answer inside three days to the notice, the official mentioned.
ALSO READ: Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay retires, made Mamata’s advisor amid row
Bandyopadhyay, who was as a consequence of retire on May 31, was given an extension of three months and days later requested to report on the Centre. However, Banerjee introduced his retirement on Monday and appointed him as chief advisor to the state authorities.
According to Section 51 (b), whosoever refuses to adjust to any route given by or on behalf of the central authorities or the state authorities or the National Executive Committee or the State Executive Committee or the District Authority under this Act, shall on conviction be punishable with imprisonment for a time period which can prolong to 1 yr or with wonderful, or with each.
“And if such obstruction or refusal to comply with directions results in loss of lives or imminent danger thereof, shall on conviction be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years,” the Act says.
ALSO READ: Alapan Bandyopadhyay gets present trigger notice from Centre
The retired IAS officer has been requested to clarify in writing to the house ministry inside three days why motion ought to be taken in opposition to him under the provisions of the Act.
Earlier, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) had requested him to report back to the central authorities in Delhi by Monday.
The Centre’s motion had come after Bandyopadhyay, together with the chief minister, didn’t keep for a gathering held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Cyclone Yaas’ influence.
However, he didn’t come to the capital and selected to retire, as an alternative of accepting a three-month extension sanctioned to him by the state and central authorities.
Chief Minister Banerjee had alleged that the officer was focused by the central authorities as a consequence of a “political vendetta”.
The Union Home Secretary is the chairman of the nationwide govt committee under the DM Act which is at present in pressure because of the COVID pandemic.
The COVID-19 lockdown measures have been carried out under the Disaster Management Act.
