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Tag: Alapan Bandyopadhyay

  • Three held in connection with threat to ex-Bengal chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Kolkata Police sleuths have arrested three persons, including a doctor, for their alleged involvement in sending a death threat to former West Bengal chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, a senior officer said on Tuesday.

    Bandyopadhyay had recently received a death threat through a letter sent to his wife.

    Acting on a tip-off, one typist was arrested on Monday from Ballygunge area, who had admitted that he had written the letter using a typewriter, the officer said.

    After getting information from him, the city police sleuths arrested the doctor, who works in a city-based medical college, from Raja Rammohan Sarani and his driver from Manicktala area,he said.

    “The doctor had sent his driver with a draft of the letter to the typist. He has written such letters to several people. It seems that he has a mental disorder. We are probing into the matter,” the officer said.

    Bandyopadhyay, who retired in May, is at present the chief advisor to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

    His wife Sonali Chakrabarty, Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University, had received the typed letter.

    “Madam, your husband will be killed. No body can save the life of your husband,” read the letter, dated October 22, a police officer had said.

  • ‘Alapan is in mental agony, won’t tolerate such behaviour towards him’: Mamata flays Centre

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday slammed the Centre for “victimising” her former top bureaucrat Alapan Bandyopadhyay, against whom the union government has initiated penalty proceedings that could deprive him of post-retirement benefits.

    Banerjee said that IAS and IPS officers of the country are in solidarity with the former West Bengal chief secretary, as it is the “battle of every bureaucrat”.

    “The Centre must realise it is victimising an official who lost his brother, nephew and mother within a span of 15-20 days and he is in mental agony because he has worked for the country all his life, and now he is being treated in such a manner. This is irresponsible behaviour and we will not allow this,” she told reporters.

    The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has sent Bandyopadhyay, now an advisor to the chief minister, a “memorandum” mentioning the charges and giving him 30 days to reply, officials had said on Monday.

    He has been warned of major penalty proceedings, which allows the central government to withhold pension or gratuity, or both, either in full or in part.

    The CM said Bandyopadhyay, a 1987-batch IAS officer (retired), has always worked with dedication, determination and devotion, and he is authorised to take any action as part of his response to the Centre.

    “Our government will give him full support,” Banerjee asserted.

    She also said the union government is not abiding by the law in its actions against Bandyopadhyay.

    “You cannot forcibly change rules because the country has a Constitution. It (central government) is turning into a selfish giant. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and the Congress party, too, had a massive majority, but even he had never done something like this,” Banerjee said.

    The Centre had on May 28 sought services of Bandyopadhyay, barely a few days after he was given a three- month extension beyond the date of his superannuation (May 31), and asked the state government to relieve him immediately with a direction to him to report at DoPT, New Delhi.

    The DoPT had sent him a reminder after he failed to report in response to its May 28th order.

    As the tussle between the Centre and the state continued over the order, Mamata Banerjee on May 31 said that Bandyopadhyay has “retired” and been appointed as her advisor for three years.

  • Trinamool attacks PM Modi over Alapan episode, claims petulance now a state policy

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday hit out at the BJP-led central government accusing it of trying to disturb the functioning of the West Bengal government by initiating disciplinary proceedings against Alapan Bandyopadhyay, former chief secretary of the state.

    The TMC also claimed that petulance has become part of state policy of the Narendra Modi government and the action against Bandyopadhyay, now working as an advisor to the chief minister, amounted to opening of a provocative chapter in federal conflicts.

    The BJP however, denied the charges as “baseless” and accused the Mamata Banerjee-led party of politicising the bureaucracy.

    “The BJP has resorted to disturb the functional affairs of the government of West Bengal to further its political agenda its humiliating defeat in the election.

    “It is the prime minister who sits at the helm of the DoPT, and there’s no point in guessing that this is nothing but personal rage, which is desperately finding a venting point to roar,” senior TMC MP and party spokesperson Sougata Ray said.

    The comments by the TMC came a day after the Centre initiated “major penalty proceedings” against Bandyopadhyay, amid a tug-of-war between the Union government and the Mamata Banerjee dispensation over him, which may deprive him of post-retirement benefits, partially or fully.

    The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has sent Bandyopadhyay, who retired on May 31 and is now the chief advisor to the CM, a “memorandum” mentioning the charges giving him 30 days to reply.

    Referring to the death of Bandyopadhyay’s mother a few days back, Ray claimed that the Central government is also heartless.

    “They (the Centre) simply want to deprive Alapan of the benefits that he was entitled to post-retirement. After losing (the poll in) Bengal, the BJP is trying to create unnecessary tussle in the functioning of the state government. By making petulance part of state policy, Modi has opened a provocative chapter in federal conflicts,” he said.

    The action initiated against Bandyopadhyay is inhuman, Ray claimed.

    “The TMC condemns it. People of West Bengal also are seeing how the central government is harassing an honest officer. People of Bengal will not tolerate such humiliation,” he said.

    The West Bengal BJP denied the charges and claimed that it is the state’s ruling party which has politicised bureaucracy.

    “We have nothing personal against Alapan Bandyopadhyay or anyone else. He was an all-India cadre officer, and the matter is between him and the union government. It is the TMC which has politicised the police and bureaucracy and have been using them to serve its political interests,” state BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.

    Bandopadhyay was set to retire on May 31, but the state had recently sought and received permission for extension of his tenure by three months as he played a crucial role in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

    He was, however, handed over a transfer directive by the DoPT, shortly after a row broke out over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s post-cyclone review meeting, which the CM and the state chief secretary did not attend.

    The bureaucrat, instead of reporting to Delhi, chose to retire amid the Centre-state tussle.

    He was subsequently appointed as the CM’s chief adviser.

    The DoPT had sent him a reminder after he failed to report in response to its May 28 order.

    The Union Home Ministry has also slapped a show-cause notice on Bandyopadhyay under a stringent provision of the Disaster Management Act that entails imprisonment for up to two years for abstaining from the meeting presided over by the PM.

    The notice said Bandyopadhyay “acted in a manner tantamount to refusing to comply with lawful directions of the central government”.

    Bandyopadhyay had responded to the Home Ministry’s notice.

  • Ex-Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay may lose retirement perks

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Centre has initiated “major penalty proceedings” against former West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, amid a tug-of-war between the Union government and the Mamata Banerjee dispensation over him, which may deprive him of post-retirement benefits, partially or fully.

    The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has sent Bandyopadhyay, now an advisor to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, a “memorandum” mentioning the charges and giving him 30 days to reply, officials said Monday.

    The former chief secretary has been warned of major penalty proceedings which allows the Central government to withhold pension or gratuity, or both, either in full or in part, they said.

    The June 16 memorandum sent to Bandyopadhyay informs him that the Centre proposes to hold major penalty proceedings against him under Rule 8 of the All India services (Discipline and Appeal) rules, 1969, read with Rule 6 of the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958.

    “The substance of the imputations of misconduct or misbehavior in respect of which the inquiry is proposed to be held is set out in the statement of Article of Charge,” it said.

    Bandyopadhyay, a 1987-batch IAS officer (retired) of West Bengal cadre, was “directed to submit within 30 days of the receipt of this memorandum a written statement of his defence and also to state whether he desires to be heard in-person”.

    “Major penalty proceedings have been initiated against Bandyopadhyay as per relevant service rules,” an official said.

    The rules allow the Central government to withhold “pension or gratuity, or both, either in full or in part, whether permanently or for a specified period”.

    It also allows the Centre to order the “recovery from pension or gratuity of the whole or part of any pecuniary loss caused to the central or a state government, if the pensioner is found in a departmental or judicial proceedings to have been guilty of grave misconduct or to have caused pecuniary loss to the central or a state government by misconduct or negligence, during his service, including service rendered on re-employment after retirement”.

    The Centre had on May 28 sought services of Bandyopadhyay, barely a few days after he was given a three-month extension beyond the date of his superannuation (May 31), and asked the state government to relieve him immediately with a direction to him to report at DoPT, New Delhi.

    The DoPT had sent him a reminder after he failed to report in response to its May 28th order.

    As the tussle between the Centre and the state continued over the order, Mamata Banerjee on May 31 said that Bandyopadhyay has “retired” and been appointed as her advisor for three years.

    The Union Home Ministry has also slapped a show-cause notice on Bandyopadhyay under a stringent provision of the Disaster Management Act that entails imprisonment for up to two years, for abstaining from a meeting presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Cyclone Yaas.

    The notice said Bandyopadhyay “acted in a manner tantamount to refusing to comply with lawful directions of the central government”.

    Bandyopadhyay had responded to the Home Ministry’s notice.

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

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday claimed that Alapan Bandyopadhyay is a closed chapter now, but asserted that her administration will stand by the former chief secretary of the state on the row over his not joining the central government.

    “Alapan Bandyopadhyay chapter is over now. The West Bengal government will give full support to Alapan Bandyopadhyay in whatever is going around with him,” Banerjee told reporters when asked about her government’s stance on the fiasco.

    Bandopadhyay was set to retire on May 31, but the state had recently sought and received permission for extension of his tenure by three months as he played a crucial role in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

    He was, however, handed over a transfer directive by the Centre, shortly after a row broke out over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s post-cyclone review meeting, which the CM and the state chief secretary did not attend.

    The bureaucrat, instead of reporting to Delhi, chose to retire amid the Centre-state tussle.

    He was subsequently appointed as the CM’s chief adviser.

    The Union Home Ministry has served a show-cause notice on Bandyopadhyay under a stringent provision of the Disaster Management Act that entails imprisonment up to two years, amid a tug-of-war between the Centre and the Mamata Banerjee government over him.

    Bandyopadhyay has already started working as the chief adviser and was present at Wednesday’s meeting of the state Irrigation department presided over by Banerjee.

  • Home Ministry notice to Alapan Bandyopadhyay under Disaster Management Act

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The row between the Centre and the West Bengal government intensified after the Union Home Ministry served a show-cause notice to the state’s former chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay under a stringent provision of the Disaster Management Act that entails imprisonment up to two years.

    A home ministry official said that hours before Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced his retirement on Monday, Bandyopadhyay was served the notice for refusing to comply with lawful direction of the central government in violation of Section 51-B of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

    The officer has been asked to reply within three days to the notice, the official said.

    It was stated in the notice that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his entourage after reaching the Kalaikunda air force station waited for 15 minutes for the officers of the state government to arrive.

    In view of the absence, the chief secretary was called by an official as to whether they wanted to participate in the review meeting or not.

    Thereafter the chief secretary arrived along with the chief minister inside the room and left immediately.

    “In view of this act of abstaining himself from the review meeting taken by the Prime Minister, who is also the chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, the chief secretary has acted in a manner tantamount to refusing to comply with lawful direction of the central government and thus violative of Section 51(b) of the Disaster Management Act 2005,” it said.

    Bandyopadhyay, a 1987-batch IAS officer who was due to retire on May 31, was given an extension of three months and days later asked to report at the Centre.

    However, Banerjee announced his retirement on Monday and appointed him as the chief advisor to the state government.

    According to Section 51 (b), whosoever refuses to comply with any direction given by or on behalf of the central government or the state government or the National Executive Committee or the State Executive Committee or the District Authority under this Act, shall on conviction be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine, or with both.

    “And if such obstruction or refusal to comply with directions results in loss of lives or imminent danger thereof, shall on conviction be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years…,” the Act says.

    The Union Home Secretary is the chairman of the national executive committee under the DM Act which is currently in force due to the COVID pandemic.

    The COVID-19 lockdown measures have been implemented under the Disaster Management Act.

    The retired IAS officer has been asked to explain in writing to the home ministry within three days why action should be taken against him under the provisions of the Act.

    Bandyopadhyay is also facing heat from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), cadre controlling ministry for IAS officers, which had asked him twice to appear for his further duty to the central government in Delhi by Monday and again on Tuesday.

    However, he did not come to the capital and chose to retire, instead of accepting a three-month extension sanctioned to him by the state and central government.

    Chief Minister Banerjee had alleged that the officer was targeted by the central government due to a “political vendetta”.

    Reacting sharply to the notice, the ruling Trinamool Congress claimed that the Centre was wreaking vengeance on the West Bengal government and said the notice sent to Bandyopadhyay was an “illegal” move.

    TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy contended that the notice, invoking section 51 (b) of the Disaster Management Act, was “void”, and said that the question of violation of any provision does not arise.

    “Show Cause Notice served upon former Chief Secretary of Bengal is void ab initio in as much as no direction was issued to him under Sec 51(a) or(b) of the Disaster Management Act.

    As such the question of violation thereof does not arise. Stop such blatant acts of vengeance,” he tweeted.

    Opposition leader in the West Bengal assembly, BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, however, sought the strictest action against Bandopadhyay for “indiscipline and violation of rules”.

    “I demand the strictest action be taken against the outgoing CS for indiscipline, violating service rules at a time of a natural disaster and a global pandemic, irregularities, and not helping others just because of sinister political games.

    TMC has failed the people of West Bengal,” the BJP leader tweeted.

    Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Pradip Bhattacharya, on his part, said the chief secretary is a victim of circumstances in the midst of the tussle between the Centre and the state government.

    Different interpretations can be made out of the episode that preceded Bandopadhyay’s recall order, his subsequent retirement, and everything that followed, he said.

    “Alapan Bandopadhyay is a victim of circumstances, this is not desirable.

    It may apparently seem that more importance should be given to the prime minister than the chief minister, but since the chief secretary is responsible for the affairs of the state, it does not seem that he has done anything wrong by toeing the chief minister’s line,” Bhattacharya said.

  • Centre sends reminder to ‘now-retired’ WB chief secretary to report in Delhi on June 1

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Centre sent a reminder to West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay who “retired” on Monday to report to the Personnel Ministry in Delhi at 10 AM on Tuesday, failing which disciplinary action would be initiated against him, officials said.

    They said the reminder was sent after the officer failed to report here on Monday in response to an order issued by the ministry placing his services with the Government of India.

    Amid the political slugfest over the issue, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said Bandyopadhyay has “retired” and he has been appointed as her adviser for three years.

    She had earlier in the day written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to rescind the Centre’s order recalling Bandyopadhyay, and said her government was “not releasing” the top bureaucrat.

    She said the central government had asked Bandopadhyay to report to Delhi’s North Block on Tuesday, but added an officer cannot join a new office without permission from the state administration.

    “The CS got a letter from the Centre asking him to join North Block by tomorrow. This is not a reply to my letter but to the CS. I have not received any reply from it to the letter which I had sent earlier today,” she told newspersons in Kolkata.

    Sources in Delhi said necessary disciplinary proceedings will be initiated against the officer in case he fails to report in Delhi on Tuesday.

    “A show-cause notice can also be issued to him seeking his explanation as to why he did not join,” a source explained.

    The Personnel Ministry had on May 28 sought services of Bandyopadhyay and asked the state government to relieve the officer immediately.

    Bandyopadhyay, who was scheduled to retire on Monday after completion of 60 years of age, was recently given a three-month extension.

    His extension was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by the prime minister.

    In a communique to the state government, the Personnel Ministry on Friday said the ACC has approved the placement of the services of Bandyopadhyay with Government of India as per provisions of Rule 6(1) of the Indian Administrative Service (Cadre) Rules, 1954, “with immediate effect”.

    While asking the state government to relieve the officer with immediate effect, it also directed Bandyopadhyay to report to the Department of Personnel and Training, North Block, New Delhi by 10 am on May 31.

    The officer did not report on Monday, following which another letter was issued in which the state government was advised to relieve him with immediate effect and he was directed to report to the DoPT, North Block, New Delhi by 10 AM on June 1, 2021, officials said, citing details of the communiqué.

    Rule 6 (1) of the IAS cadre rules says a cadre officer may, with the concurrence of the state governments concerned and the central government, be deputed for service under the central government or another state government.

    “Provided that in case of any disagreement, the matter shall be decided by the central government and the state government or state governments concerned shall give effect to the decision of the central government,” it says.

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

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to withdraw the Centre’s order recalling Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, and said her government “is not releasing” the top bureaucrat.

    In a five-page letter, Banerjee urged the prime minister to reconsider the Centre’s decision to recall the chief secretary after giving him a three-month extension. Banerjee said she was shocked by the Centre’s decision and termed the order as “unilateral”, which was issued “without any prior consultation” with the state government.

    ALSO READ| Shouldn’t fight state governments now: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Bengal chief secretary transfer

    “This so-called unilateral order is an unreasoned volte face and by your own admission, against the interests of the state and its people. “I humbly request you to withdraw, recall, reconsider your decision and rescind the latest so-called order in larger public interest. I appeal to your conscience and good sense, on the behalf of the people of West Bengal,” Banerjee said in her letter to PM Modi.

    She also said, “The West Bengal government cannot release, and 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.”

    The Centre, in a surprise move, had on May 28 night sought Bandyopadhyay’s services and asked the state government to immediately release the top bureaucrat.

    ALSO READ| Rescind order to recall Bengal chief secretary immediately

    Bandyopadhyay, a 1987-batch IAS officer of West Bengal cadre, was scheduled to retire on Monday 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 May 28 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.

  • Shouldn’t fight state governments now: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Bengal chief secretary transfer

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday that this was not the time to fight with state governments, but to confront the coronavirus pandemic together. Kejriwal was reacting to reports of the sudden transfer of West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay by the Centre that snowballed into a major controversy.

    “This is not the time to fight with the state governments, but to fight the coronavirus together with everyone,” Kejriwal tweeted, tagging a news report that Bandyopadhyay might likely to continue as chief secretary amid the relief relief for cyclone and COVID.

    ये समय राज्य सरकारों से लड़ने का नहीं है, सबके साथ मिलकर करोना से लड़ने का है। ये समय राज्य सरकारों की मदद करने का है, उन्हें वैक्सीन उपलब्ध करवाने का है, सभी राज्य सरकारों को साथ लेकर एक होकर टीम इंडिया बनकर काम करने का है। लड़ाई झगड़े और राजनीति करने को पूरी ज़िंदगी पड़ी है pic.twitter.com/qwUVjcLA3i
    — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 31, 2021

    “This is the time to help the state governments, to provide them with vaccines, to work with all the state governments as team India.The whole life is left for politics,” Kejriwal tweeted. The Centre had in a surprise move 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.

  • Bengal govt yet to give nod to Chief Secretary for central appointment: Source

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, whose sudden transfer order from the Centre days before his retirement snowballed into a major controversy, is unlikely to report to the Department of Personnel and Training on Monday, as he is yet to get the nod from the state government, a highly placed source said.

    Bandyopadhyay was very much present at the state secretariat ‘Nabanna’ even on a Sunday, he said.

    “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.