Bengal chief secretary ignores summons from Centre; retires, becomes adviser to CM

Banerjee additionally introduced that Dwelling Secretary H Okay Dwivedi can be the brand new chief secretary of West Bengal, and B P Gopalika can be the brand new residence secretary. (File photograph: IE)

Amidst the tug of struggle between the Centre and West Bengal authorities over the requisitioning of Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay to New Delhi, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday introduced that Bandyopadhyay had been made Chief Adviser to the Chief Minister after he declined the three-month extension granted to him, and retired from service.

Banerjee additionally introduced that Dwelling Secretary H Okay Dwivedi can be the brand new chief secretary of West Bengal, and B P Gopalika can be the brand new residence secretary.

The Centre on Monday despatched one other letter to Bandyopadhyay, asking him to report back to North Block on Tuesday. The second letter got here hours after Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to claim that her authorities wouldn’t launch Bandyopadhyay for central deputation, as required by the Division of Personnel and Coaching (DoPT).

The DoPT had written to the West Bengal authorities on Friday, saying the “Appointments Committee of the Cupboard has accepted the position of…(Bandyopadhyay’s) companies with the Authorities of India”, and that the federal government ought to “relieve the officer with rapid impact and direct him to report back to the DoPT…by 10 am on Could 31”.

At a information convention in Nabanna, the state secretariat, on Monday, Banerjee recounted the sequence of occasions main as much as the flashpoint. “In our letter on Could 12, the aim of extension of his (Bandyopadhyay’s) service for the state authorities was for administration of the Covid-19 and post-cyclone Yaas scenario. The Centre’s letter (of Could 28) didn’t point out the explanation (for the requisition of Bandyopadhyay). Right this moment, I wrote a letter to the Prime Minister asking him to withdraw the order and rethink the choice.

“However in the present day, the Centre has despatched one other letter to Alapan Bandyopadhyay, asking him to report back to North Block tomorrow. Nonetheless, Alapan Bandyopadhyay retired, as I didn’t permit him to go away our secretariat (Nabanna). After his superannuation, Dwelling Secretary H Okay Dwivedi has turn into the brand new chief secretary and IAS B P Gopalika has turn into the brand new residence secretary,” she mentioned.

Describing Bandyopadhyay as a “vivid officer”, the chief minister mentioned, “Right this moment is his retirement day. It’s his need. He can take a call. I feel has the heart and he has the boldness. I allowed him to be the Chief Adviser to Chief Minister. He’ll begin his work from tomorrow. I’ve already ordered (that the put up be created).”

Bandyopadhyay, Banerjee mentioned, would draw a wage of `2.5 lakh monthly plus advantages, and his tenure has been fastened for 3 years. The drama unfolded after Banerjee, accompanied by Bandyopadhyay, skipped a evaluate assembly on Cyclone Yaas known as by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Could 28. Hours later, the Centre recalled Bandyopadhyay to New Delhi.

The order, which gave no causes, got here solely days after the Centre on Could 24, accepted a proposal by the state to increase Bandyopadhyay’s tenure by three months till August 31. Earlier than the extension was granted, Bandyopadhyay was scheduled to retire on Could 31.

Banerjee slammed Prime Minister Modi and Union Dwelling Minister Amit Shah for his or her alleged vendetta politics and “cruelty”. She known as the Centre’s strikes “unlawful and unconstitutional”, and mocked Modi as “Mr Mann Ki Baat Prime Minister”. “It is a nice blunder of the central authorities. They need to bulldoze the state authorities completely. They need to play political vendetta …,” Banerjee mentioned.