Amid a row with the West Bengal government, the Centre on Monday, 31 May, issued a show cause notice to recently retired Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay for his absence from the Cyclone Yaas review meeting held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in West Bengal on Friday.
The Centre’s notice was served under the Disaster Management Act and directs Bandopadhyay to respond within three days as to why action should not be taken against him under Section 51 of the act.
As per official sources, a charge sheet may be issued against Bandyopadhyay, and disciplinary action may be taken, The Times of India reported. As per the law, disciplinary action can be initiated against an officer for up to a period of four years after his/her retirement.
Centre Asks Bandopadhyay to Report in Delhi
The Centre had on Friday asked the West Bengal government to relieve Bandyopadhyay for further posting at the Centre. The then chief secretary had been asked to report to the department of personnel and training (DoPT) in Delhi on Monday morning.
After he failed to be present on Monday morning, the Centre also sent a reminder to Bandyopadhyay to report to the Personnel Ministry in Delhi at 10 am on Tuesday, failing which disciplinary action would be initiated against him.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced that Bandyopadhyay had retired as chief secretary and he had been appointed as her chief advisor the same day.
On Monday, after the Narendra Modi government ordered his transfer to the Centre on Friday, Bandyopadhyay retired as Bengal's Chief Secretary and was promptly appointed Chief Adviser by Mamata Banerjee.
Will Not Allow Bandyopadhyay to Leave: CM Mamata Banerjee
“I will not allow Alapan Bandyopadhyay to leave Nabanna. He is now the Chief Adviser to Chief Minister,” Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said, according to ANI.
With regard to a letter from Centre, which had asked the chief secretary to join North Block from Tuesday, Banerjee said that since Alapan Bandyopadhyay had retired from service on Monday, he would not be heading to Delhi.
She said that Bengal had just received this letter and the reason for calling the Bengal chief secretary to join the Centre had not been mentioned in the letter to her.
“Centre cannot force an officer to join it without consent of the state government,” Mamata said on the letter asking the Bengal chief secretary to report to Delhi, according to PTI.
Earlier on Monday, Banerjee had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that the state government "cannot release, and is not releasing its chief secretary at this critical hour".
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