West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the Centre’s order recalling state chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay. She made the request in a letter to the PM and said her government “is not releasing” the top bureaucrat. Bandyopadhyay’s service was recently extended for three months so that he could continue to serve in the state as it faced the deadly coronavirus disease (Covid-19) crisis after “mutual written consultations” and “in accordance with the due process”, the CM said.
“The government of 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,” the chief minister said.
“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 said.
The Central government’s decision is unilateral and unconstitutional, the chief minister claimed.
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.
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. PTI