Bengal Chief Secretary May Go AWOL As Mamata Digs In Her Feet

With West Bengal Chief Secretary expected to report to the North Block at 10:30 am today, sources have said that the State government is yet to relieve Alapan Bandyopadhyay off his duties despite the central deputation order days ago. A senior IAS officer of the West Bengal government and colleague of the chief secretary told The Print that Bandyopadhyay is going to write a detailed letter to the central government explaining his inability to report to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), as directed by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. 

As per PTI sources, the West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay is unlikely to report to the Department of Personnel and Training on Monday, as asked in the order issued late on Friday night. The Chief Secretary was present at the state secretariat 'Nabanna' even on a Sunday and is yet to receive the nod from the TMC government for his central deputation. 

“As of now, Mr Bandyopadhyay has not been relieved of his duties by the West Bengal government... As per tomorrow's schedule, he may be participating in a review meeting to be chaired by the CM at the state secretariat around 3 pm," the source told PTI.

The Centre, in a surprise move, had on Friday night sought Bandyopadhyay's services and asked the state government to immediately release the top bureaucrat.

Bandyopadhyay, a 1987-batch IAS officer of West Bengal cadre, was scheduled to retire on May 31 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.

In a communique to the state government, the Personnel Ministry on Friday said the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the placement of the services of Bandyopadhyay with Government of India as per provisions of the Indian Administrative Service (cadre) Rules, 1954, "with immediate effect".

It also directed Bandyopadhyay to report to the Department of Personnel and Training, North Block, New Delhi by 10 am on Monday.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Saturday called the Centre's decision to recall Bandyopadhyay as "unconstitutional" and "illegal", and appealed to the Union government to withdraw its order.

With PTI inputs