<p>The conduct of former West Bengal chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay of skipping a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28 has come under question, government sources said Wednesday, maintaining that his act has made a severe dent to IAS as he seemed to have been working as personal staff of the chief minister.</p>.<p>Did Bandyopadhyay subject himself to "whims" of the West Bengal chief minister so his post-retirement could be "handsomely rewarding", the sources asked.</p>.<p>They said the chief secretary cannot be working like personal staff of the chief minister.</p>.<p>Bandyopadhyay's conduct on a day when the prime minister was in the state for a review meeting to ascertain damages post Cyclone Yaas has come under question.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/alapan-bandyopadhyay-chapter-is-over-says-mamata-992961.html" target="_blank">Alapan Bandyopadhyay chapter is over, says Mamata</a></strong></p>.<p>The sources said the country's first home minister Sardar Patel while addressing the first batch of the IAS officers had referred them as the "steel frame of India".</p>.<p>They said Patel did not invent this phraseology only to inspire the young officers but behind this was multitude of connotations – India was a multicultural nation where rulers of states "would have their own interests and egos, at times inflated".</p>.<p>If the Centre's representatives boycotted the meetings called by the chief secretary after natural calamities, would it not amount to institutional breakdown in a federal structure, they said.</p>.<p>"Would that not lead to anarchy? Alapan Bandyopadhyay's conduct on May 28 has made a severe dent to IAS, the supposed 'steel frame' of India as devised by Sardar Patel," a source said.</p>
<p>The conduct of former West Bengal chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay of skipping a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28 has come under question, government sources said Wednesday, maintaining that his act has made a severe dent to IAS as he seemed to have been working as personal staff of the chief minister.</p>.<p>Did Bandyopadhyay subject himself to "whims" of the West Bengal chief minister so his post-retirement could be "handsomely rewarding", the sources asked.</p>.<p>They said the chief secretary cannot be working like personal staff of the chief minister.</p>.<p>Bandyopadhyay's conduct on a day when the prime minister was in the state for a review meeting to ascertain damages post Cyclone Yaas has come under question.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/alapan-bandyopadhyay-chapter-is-over-says-mamata-992961.html" target="_blank">Alapan Bandyopadhyay chapter is over, says Mamata</a></strong></p>.<p>The sources said the country's first home minister Sardar Patel while addressing the first batch of the IAS officers had referred them as the "steel frame of India".</p>.<p>They said Patel did not invent this phraseology only to inspire the young officers but behind this was multitude of connotations – India was a multicultural nation where rulers of states "would have their own interests and egos, at times inflated".</p>.<p>If the Centre's representatives boycotted the meetings called by the chief secretary after natural calamities, would it not amount to institutional breakdown in a federal structure, they said.</p>.<p>"Would that not lead to anarchy? Alapan Bandyopadhyay's conduct on May 28 has made a severe dent to IAS, the supposed 'steel frame' of India as devised by Sardar Patel," a source said.</p>