News Analysis India

Tag: Alapan Bandopadhyay

  • Calcutta HC sets aside CAT’s ‘mala fide’ order against Alapan Bandopadhyay

    Express News Service

    KOLKATA:  In a sharply critical order dealing a blow to the Central Administrative Tribunal’s (CAT)’s decision to transfer the hearing of former chief secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay’s case of alleged misconduct to Delhi, the Calcutta High Court on Friday said the “entire modus operandi” adopted by the Union of India “reeks of mala fides”.

    Setting aside the CAT order, the high court directed that the hearing of the case would be conducted at CAT’s Kolkata unit.

    “It is unfortunate that the Principal Bench of the CAT nurtured such efforts by passing the impugned transfer order, thereby paying obeisance to the diktat of the Union of India, which has been repeatedly held by the Supreme Court and various High Courts not to be a favoured litigant,” the judgment said.

    “Rather, the responsibility of meting out justice and serving the cause of justice is on a much higher pedestal for the Union of India than an ordinary individual litigant,’’ the high court observed.

    Bandopadhyay moved the high court challenging the CAT’s order of transferring his case of alleged misconduct.

    He alleged that he was being harassed on the charge that he had not attended a meeting of PM Narendra Modi at an air force base on May 28 to assess the damage caused by a cyclone. 

    The HC directed the Kolkata bench of CAT to decide the case on an expedite basis. The court further observed that such an action even by a quasi-judicial authority ‘leaves a bad taste in the mouth’ and also pose a threat to the federal structure as envisioned by the makers of the Constitution.      

    Earlier, replying to a show cause notice slapped by the Centre asking why action should not be taken against him for not attending the meeting with the PM, Bandopadhyay had said he was accompanying Mamata Banerjee and went by the instructions of the state chief minister to whom he reported.

  • Cyclone of arrogance still hovering over Bay of Bengal: Shiv Sena on Centre-state tussle

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Amid the ongoing tussle between the central government and West Bengal involving the state’s former chief secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay, the Shiv Sena on Thursday said the “cyclone of arrogance” is still hovering over the Bay of Bengal, and added that it is wrong on the part of the Centre to put pressure on the states.

    In an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, the Sena said that the Centre should have a broad vision towards political wins and losses as the absence of it might hurt the country’s unity.

    The party also said that during the tenure of former prime ministers Manmohan Singh, Rajiv Gandhi, Narsimha Rao and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, there were no stand-offs between the Centre and the states.

    The Union Home Ministry issued a show-cause notice to Bandyopadhyay on May 31, the day he retired, for allegedly violating the Disaster Management Act by not attending a meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    “Cyclone Yaas has come and gone, but the cyclone of arrogance is still hovering over the Bay of Bengal. Like Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bandopadhyay did not attend the cyclone review meeting called by PM Narendra Modi during his visit to the state,” the Sena said.

    ALSO READ | Alapan Bandyopadhyay chapter is over, Bengal govt will provide him full support: CM Mamata Banerjee

    After the Centre transferred the chief secretary to Delhi, Banerjee took his resignation and appointed him as her chief advisor.

    The Centre has now issued a show-cause notice to Bandopadhyay and threatened to file a case if he did not respond, it said.

    The bureaucrat belongs to the Bengal cadre and is duty-bound to abide by the chief minister’s directives.

    He did not reach the PM’s meeting since he was attending another one chaired by the chief minister on cyclone review.

    Bureaucrats get sandwiched between such political fights, it added.

    “How can the bureaucrat be a criminal if he is following the orders of the chief minister of his state? Had he attended the PM’s meeting, the state would have taken action against him,” the Sena said.

    It is wrong on the part of the Centre to put pressure on the states. We are a federal structure.

    It is wrong to humiliate state governments that are not of the political ideology of the Centre, the ruling party in Maharashtra said.

    “There are six accused in the Narada sting operation case. While four have been arrested and two others were not since they both have joined the BJP. Has the Constitution given the Centre powers to act in such a manner?” the party asked.

    “The Centre wants to teach Mamata Banerjee a lesson by punishing Bandopadhyay. This is a threat to the country’s bureaucracy. This is height of arrogance. The Centre should keep broad vision towards political wins and losses,” it said.

    “During the time of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Narsimha Rao, Rajiv Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayeethere used to be no stand-offs between the Centre and the states. During their tenure, issues faced by the states would be resolved amicably and with a long-term vision. The states used to get more than what they demanded,” it said.

  • Alapan Bandopadhyay, a skilled administrator with clean record

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay has earned a name for himself as a skilled administrator. The 1987-batch IAS officer started his professional career as a journalist with the Kolkata-based Bengali newspaper called Anandabazar Patrika. He then cracked the UPSC Civil Services Examination and joined the officialdom.

    A diligent civil servant, Bandopadhyay has consistently demonstrated his commitment to his work. Despite his younger brother’s sudden death this month due to Covid, he continued to work hard for the state, no bothering to take a time off.

    Bandopadhyay has served as the additional chief secretary of the micro, small and medium enterprises and textiles department before he was appointed as the additional chief secretary of the home and information department in 2019. He was the blue-eyed boy of the Left government, which ruled West Bengal prior to Mamata’s ascent. When the TMC supremo took over the reins of power in 2011, Bandopadhyay’s skills did not go unnoticed.

    He has not had a single blot on his career. While reacting to the Centre’s transfer letter to him, Mamata herself noted that he has maintained a clean image throughout. Bandopadhyay’s wife Sonali Chakrabarty is the vice-chancellor of the University of Calcutta.

    ALSO WATCH | One month after Mamata’s victory, turncoats want to ditch BJP to return to TMC

  • Bengal chief secretary retires, Mamata appoints him chief advisor amid Centre-state row

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Amid the ongoing tussle between the Centre and Bengal government over the chief secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay’s transfer to Delhi, the top bureaucrat on Monday retired and was appointed the chief advisor to CM Mamata Banerjee.

    Bandopandhyay will take on the new role from June 1 for a period of three years. 

    State Home Secretary HK Dwivedi has been appointed as the new chief secretary and additional chief secretary BP Gopalika has taken over as the new home secretary.

    “State chief secretary Alapan Banerjee has retired as his service ended today. He didn’t ask for his extension. But the state government has decided to use his vast experience in bureaucracy for the betterment of the state. He has now been appointed as chief minister’s chief advisor so that the government can get his service in handling Covid-19 pandemic and post cyclone Yaas relief operations,” said CM Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat.

    ALSO READ | ‘Won’t release chief secretary’: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee requests PM Modi to rescind order

    Mamata on Monday wrote a letter to PM Narendra Modi describing the Centre’s decision to transfer Bandopadhyay to Delhi was unilateral, unprecedented and unconstitutional. Alapan was asked to report to the Department of Personnel and Training on May 31, the day of his superannuation

    “The government of Bengal cannot release, and it is not releasing, its Chief Secretary at this critical hour, on the basis of our understanding that the earlier order of extension, issued after lawful consultation in accordance with applicable laws, remains operational and valid,” Mamata wrote in the letter hours before announcing Bandopadhyay’s new role.

    Earlier, the state government had sought a nod from the Centre for Bandopadhyay’s three-month extension which was approved.

    Sources in the state secretariat said though the state government sought the bureaucrat’s extension as the chief secretary and the Centre gave a nod, Bengal government decided to scrap the idea after the central government’s letter asking Bandopadhyay to report to Delhi.

    “The CM decided to allow the chief secretary to retire and appoint him as her chief advisor,” an official said.

    The Bengal CM came down heavily on PM Modi and said Bandopadhyay’s transfer order reflected BJP’s political vendetta. “The Centre wrote directly wrote to the chief secretary bypassing the state government. This is unlawful. If the Centre wants a bureaucrat’s service in central government, the state government, under which he or she is working, has to be consulted. Instead of giving importance to Centre-State federalism structure, you added injury to it. I never saw such a ruthless Prime Minister,’’ Mamata lashed out.

  • BJP’s West Bengal unit told to stay mum on chief secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay’s transfer

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: The BJP’s central leadership has asked leaders of the party’s West Bengal unit not to make comments on the transfer of the state chief secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay to New Delhi.

    Sources said that the aim is to keep the party’s Bengal unit out of the controversy that has erupted over the transfer of the state’s top bureaucrat, which was announced hours after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee skipped a cyclone review meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. 

    The ruling Trinamool Congress has claimed that Bandopadhyay’s transfer is yet another example of the BJP practising vendetta politics after its dismal performance in the state Assembly elections. “Our national leadership has asked us to desist from making any comments related to the chief secretary’s transfer. It seems, the party wants to make it clear that it was the Union government’s decision, and that the state BJP had no role to play,” a senior BJP functionary said in Kolkata.

    Reacting to Bandopadhyay’s transfer, Mamata said the BJP has not been able to digest its poor results in the recently-held Assembly elections.

    She also charged that the Centre is trying to cause harm to the state by transferring an officer who was overseeing relief operations in areas affected by Cyclone Yaas as well as the state’s fight against COVID-19.

    Both the CPM and Congress also echoed Mamata and described the Centre’s transfer order to Bandopadhyay, issued without consulting the state government, as revenge for the TMC defeating the BJP in the state.

    Sources in the state secretariat said Bandopadhyay is not likely to report in Delhi on Monday. “He will attend a meeting headed by the chief minister over the issue of the post-cyclone situation and relief operations,” said an official of the state government.

    The state government is yet to give a clearance to report to Delhi over Banopadhyay’s transfer. Nor has the Centre responded to the state government’s request to withdraw his transfer letter. Notable, the West Bengal government had sought a three-month tenure extension for Bandyopadhyay, who was scheduled to retire on May 31. The Centre had approved it.

  • West Bengal CM skips ‘Yaas’ review meet with PM Modi, Centre recalls chief secretary

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA/NEW DELHI: The optics of the first in-person meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi had lined up with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Kalaikunda, was as turbulent as cyclone Yaas itself, whose destruction they were expected to review, since the latter skipped the scheduled interaction.

    Defence minister Rajnath Singh expressed shock at the no-show, saying Mamata had violated the basic tenets of the Constitution’s federal system. The first fallout was the Centre’s order to recall Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay, whose tenure was extended for three months on the CM’s request just four days ago.

    Bandopadhyay has been asked to send him to the Department of Personnel and Training’s office in Delhi by May 31 morning. Mamata has to relieve him first before he can be sent back.

    ALSO READ| ‘Has this ever happened?’ TMC on Centre’s Bengal Chief Secretary move

    Mamata later met Modi for 15 minutes and presented a sheaf of papers containing the state government’s assessment of the cyclone damage. As for the meeting, the presence of the leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari was the trigger for Mamata’s anger, as Suvendu had defected from Trinamool to the BJP and defeated her in a tight race in Nandigram.

    But, the Centre claimed invites to other Opposition leaders like Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (Congress) too had gone out. Adhir expressed his inability to make it as he was in Delhi for a meeting. However, he told this newspaper that he had been informed about the meeting only around 7.30 am on Friday. “It was not possible for me to attend it at such short notice,” he said.

    The meeting in Odisha was attended by Chief Minister Navin Patnaik and also by Union ministers Dharmenda Pradhan and PC Sarangi, both hailing from the state. “The PM and the CM are not individuals, but institutions. Both discharge duties, swearing on the Constitution, for the public welfare. Such behaviour towards the prime minister is painful,” said Rajnath.

    Modi later announced financial assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand.