West Bengal Chief Secy retires, appointed as chief adviser to CM Mamata Banerjee

The Centre has asked him to join North Block on Tuesday but it cannot force an officer to join it without the permission of the state administration, Banerjee said

The tussle over the transfer order of West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay snowballed into a bitter confrontation between the Centre and the State Government on Monday.

Hours after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that the State Government will not release the senior bureaucrat for Central duty, the Centre shot off a letter to Bandyopadhyay instructing him to report for duty in Delhi.

Also read: Bengal govt will not release Chief Secretary for Central duty, says Mamata Banerjee

The feisty Chief Minister announced that Bandyopadhyay, who prior to his extension for three months granted by the Centre was scheduled to retire on Monday, already took his superannuation and hence the Centre cannot avail his services anymore.

She also announced that the State Government has appointed Bandyopadhyay as the Chief Advisor to the Chief Minister for three years.

“We are not releasing him. He has superannuated today. The State Government has appointed him as the Chief Advisor to the Chief Minister for three years,” said Mamata.

Speaking to reporters at the State Secretariat, the Chief Minister said that the Centre had not replied to her letter conveying her decision of not releasing Bandyopadhyay for Central duty, but wrote to him asking to report for duty at the North Block on Tuesday.

Also read: Centre vs Bengal: Chief Secy Bandyopadhyay issued show cause notice as row heats up

She lashed out at Prime Minister and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for resorting to “political vendetta” and described the Centre’s action as a “vengeful act.”

“I have never seen such a cruel Prime Minister and Home Minister. Just because they are against Mamata, they are attacking her Chief Secretary and bureaucrats. This is too much,” said Mamata.

She further alleged that instead of consulting the State Government as per established rules, the Centre added insult to injury because the BJP “lost (in Bengal), because you don’t like Mamata Banerjee.”

“It seems that the Centre is not aware that Alapan has superannuated and his services are no longer available to the Centre,” said Mamata.

Bandyopadhyay’s transfer order came after the 1987 batch Bengal cadre officer along with the Chief Minister did not attend the Prime Minister’s review meeting at Kalaikunda on May 28.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister wrote to the Prime Minister stating, "The Government of West Bengal 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.”

Also read: Bengal stands up to bullies: Mahua Moitra responds to the Centre-WB row gen-Z style

As per Section 6(1) of the Indian Administrative Service (Cadre) Rules, the Centre can bring an officer on deputation with the “concurrence” of the concerned State Government. However, in case of a disagreement between the two, the Centre’s decision will prevail.

Earlier, three IPS officers in Bengal-Rajeev Mishra, Bholanath Pandey and Praveen Tripathi, were not released by the State Government for Central deputation despite repeated reminders by the Centre. They were asked to join Central duty after the attack on BJP president J P Nadda’s convoy in Bengal. The three officers were part of the security arrangement for Nadda.

(With inputs from Shemin Joy)