Kolkata: Amid the fiasco between the centre and state authorities over the evaluate assembly after Cyclone Yaas. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying she was “shocked and stunned” by the “unilateral order” from the Centre and received’t be relieving Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay.
In a five-page letter, Banerjee urged the prime minister to rethink the Centre’s determination to recall the chief secretary after giving him a three-month extension.
“This so-called unilateral order is an unreasoned volte face and by your own admission, against the interests of the state and its people. “I humbly request you to withdraw, recall, rethink your determination and rescind the newest so-called order within the bigger public curiosity. I enchantment to your conscience and good sense, on the behalf of the folks of West Bengal,” Banerjee said in her letter to PM Modi
“I really do not understand what happened between your allowing extension to the officer as Chief Secretary a few days back on 24th May, 2021, after Centre-state consultation to enable him to serve West Bengal in these times, and your unilateral order (4 days later) issued in contradiction to the extension granted by you. The unilateral order also does not provide any details, reasons and/or particulars as to why Central deputation of Alapan Bandyopadhyay is required suddenly. Does it have something to do with our meeting at Kalaikunda on 28th May 2021?” Banerjee asked.
In her letter, Mamata Banerjee formally registers her objection to the invitation to BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari in the PM-CM meeting at Kalaikunda airbase. Terming it “unacceptable,” Mamata writes the Nandigram MLA had no locus to be attending the meeting.
The recall order came hours after Mamata Banerjee skipped a Cyclone Yaas review meeting with PM Modi, preferring to meet him briefly at the Kalaikunda air base in Bengal after his helicopter landed before leaving for another meeting.
Bandyopadhyay, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre, was scheduled to retire on Monday after completion of 60 years of age. However, he was granted a three-month extension following a nod from the Centre to work on COVID management.
Mamata Banerjee has clearly stated that Bandyopadhyay will remain with the Bengal government for another 3 months and she will hold a press conference regarding the same at 3 pm.
(With inputs from Manogya Loiwal)
