The Trinamool Congress has strongly reacted to Centre’s decision to take punitive action against former Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay for alleged insubordination (to the Prime Minister’s Office) and dereliction of duty in the cyclone Yaas case.
Calling the central proceedings against Bandopadhyay for avoiding a meeting at Kalaikunda where he was asked to brief Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the damages caused by the super cyclone senior Trinamool Congress MP Saugato Roy on Tuesday said that “the actions taken by the Department of Personnel and Training which in all essence runs under the Prime Minister’s (Narendra Modi) instruction is a proof of his cruelty and heartlessness … this order has been passed to intimidate the upright officers like Alapan Bandopadhyay to stop them from working independently… such actions are a blow to the federal structure of the country.”
The action a “cruel and heartless one” at a time when “the former Chief Secretary has just lost his mother” Roy said.
Bengal Pradesh Congress president Adhir Chowdhury said that the Centre was “unnecessarily” making it an ego clash of sorts “in a bid to show who is more powerful or ‘look, I am more powerful than you’ … Such childish fights should stop.”
The Centre had sent a “memorandum” of “charge sheet” service's Discipline Rules 1969 and the Retirement Benefits Rules 1958 — to be explained within 30 days of receipt —to the retired IAS officer.
It states “Shri Alapan Bandyopadhyay, IAS (Retd) is informed that an inquiry will be held only in respect of the Article of Charge as is not admitted. He should, therefore, specifically admit or deny the Article of Charge.”
Bandopadhyay known for his integrity, merit and high literary talents was pulled up by the Centre for failing to abide by the PMO directives requiring him to make a digital presentation of the damages caused by cyclone Yaas in a Prime Ministerial meeting — in the last week of May — at Kalaikunda off Kharagpur.
Bandopadhyay had gone there with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee but left along with her after she decided to leave the venue immediately after coming to know that Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari had too been invited in the meeting. She left the spot in a huff alleging protocol breach with Bandopadhyay in tow.
Subsequently the Chief Secretary was transferred by the central Home Ministry to Delhi. However he chose to retire on May 31post which he was appointed the Chief Advisor of the Chief Minister.
“If at all the Centre wants to take any action it is free to do that but its action will not pass the test of judicial scrutiny … they will end up with egg on the face … so they should act prudently and drop the issue right here … Bandopadhyay was not an invitee to Kalaikunda and was not scheduled to do what he had been asked to do leaving the company of his immediate boss the Chief Minister whom he had accompanied to Kalaikunda on the said day and with whom and underwhose instruction he had returned from the venue,” said a TMC leader and an advocate.