Bengal Chief Secretary not to join Centre today, may attend meet over cyclone Yaas
Kolkata: Bengal Chief Secretary, Alapan Bandyopadhyay, will not join the Central government on Monday as the bureaucrat was not given the release order from the West Bengal government. Sources revealed that the state government would write to the Centre expressing its inability to release Bandyopadhyay considering his assignments related to Covid management and relief, rehabilitation and restoration works post 'very severe cyclone' Yaas. Moreover, Bandyopadhyay is the key officer in the state government's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sources said Bandyopadhyay was likely to attend the meetings as per schedule on Monday at Nabanna, including the one which would be chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to review the post-cyclone Yaas situation on the same day.
Earlier, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions in a letter on May 28 asked him to report to the department of Personnel and Training, North Block, New Delhi by 10 am on May 31, Monday. However, sources claimed that recalling the bureaucrat—who is a 1987 batch IAS officer—to Centre on the day of his retirement on May 31 is neither viable nor legal because the Centre had recently given him an extension of three months to serve as the Chief Secretary of West Bengal government.
Moreover, sources also revealed that the recall letter was not handed over to Bandhyopadhyay individually, which is mandatory in such cases. Not just that, sources insisted that in such cases of recall, the matter has to be discussed with the state government, which in the case of Bandhyopadhyay was apparently not done by the Centre.
Besides, sources highlighted that Bandhyopadhyay cannot join the Central government as he is not empanelled as Secretary with the Centre, for which he had never worked beyond the rank of Joint Secretary.
"In case he has to join the Centre, in all possibilities, will have to join at the rank of Joint Secretary, which amounts to demotion and is illegal," sources explained.
However, the Centre's recall letter doesn't have any mention about designation or date of joining for Bandhyopadhyay in the Central government.
Meanwhile, Bandyopadhyay came to Nabanna on Sunday at 5.45 pm and left the office at 7.45 pm. He was accompanied by his wife Sonali Chakraborty Banerjee, Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University.
Bandyopadhyay did not say anything to the press.
The state government had written to the Centre on May 10 requesting it to extend the term of Bandyopadhyay by three months as he was the key officer in the state government's fight against COVID-19 pandemic. On May 25, the Centre gave its nod to the state government's appeal and Bandyopadhyay was given a three month's extension to serve as Chief Secretary to the Government of West Bengal.
The Chief Minister along with Bandyopadhyay went to the cyclone-hit areas of North and South 24-Parganas on May 28, Friday. They went to Hingalganj and Sagar Islands. The Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary met the Prime Minister at Kalaikunda and gave a preliminary report. Banerjee took permission from PM Modi and left for Digha to attend a meeting. She along with the Chief Secretary visited the areas that got devastated due to the cyclone. Vast areas had been inundated and the accumulated water had caused a massive destruction.
Bandyopadhyay was made the head of several committees to expedite the rehabilitation work. However, the scenario completely changed following the letter from the Centre late on Friday evening.
Meanwhile, Saugata Roy, Trinamool Congress MP said: "The Centre's decision was nothing but vengeance against the state government." He hoped that the Centre would change its decision and revoke the order.
Moreover, bureaucrats continued to criticise the Centre's order. Bikram Sarkar, former Trinamool MP and former Chairman Kolkata Port Trust said: "Such a decision is unprecedented. It is uncalled for as Bandyopadhyay is going to retire on Monday after serving the state government for more than three decades."
Earlier, former Chief Secretary of state Ardhendu Sen, IAS Jahar Sirkar had also criticised the Centre's decision. Retired bureaucrats expressed apprehensions that the Centre "may play a dirty game and harass Bandyopadhyay by delaying his pension and other retirement benefits".
