Bengal Chief Secretary Likely To Ignore Order To Leave For Delhi: Sources

New Delhi/Kolkata:

Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay – controversially recalled by the centre final week after a row between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee – is unlikely to report back to Delhi as ordered, sources informed NDTV Monday morning.

Mr Bandyopadhyay was ordered to report back to the Division of Personnel and Coaching in Delhi’s North Block by 10 am.

Sources say the state’s high bureaucrat continues to be in Kolkata and has not but been relieved of his duties by the Bengal authorities. In response to information company PTI, he’s nonetheless scheduled to take part in a Tuesday evaluation assembly to be led by Chief Minister Banerjee.

Mr Bandyopadhyay’s recall order was issued Friday, hours after Mamata Banerjee skipped what was to be an in depth assembly with Prime Minister Modi to evaluate the impression of Cyclone Yaas.

Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who has a running feud with Ms Banerjee, and Chief of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, the Chief Minister’s former aide-turned-rival, had been current for that assembly.

The Chief Minister and her high bureaucrats had been to make a presentation, however she left handing over a report and a 15-minute interaction at the airbase in West Midnapore the place his flight landed.

That temporary interplay was their first because the explosive April-May Assembly election that noticed Ms Banerjee’s Trinamool win a 3rd consecutive time period.

A livid Mamata Banerjee on Saturday known as the centre’s order “unconstitutional” and “unlawful”, and appealed for it to be withdrawn.

“Settle for defeat in Bengal (and) cease soiled video games,” she stated.

The Trinamool has additionally criticised the centre’s transfer.

“Has this occurred since Independence? Pressured central deputation of a Chief Secretary… How a lot decrease will Modi-Shah’s BJP stoop? All as a result of Bengal humiliated the duo and selected Mamata Banerjee with an amazing mandate,” celebration MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray stated.

This isn’t the primary time the centre has recalled high bureaucrats from states to Delhi.

Simply earlier than the election in Bengal this 12 months, three Indian Police Service (IPS) officers had been recalled.

Mr Bandyopadhyay, a 1987-batch IAS officer from the Bengal cadre, was to retire Might 31 however was granted a three-month extension by the Centre to work on Covid administration within the state.

The House Ministry is the cadre-controlling authority for IPS officers, whereas the Division of Personnel and Coaching (DoPT) comes underneath the Prime Minister’s Workplace.

The centre invoked Part 6(1) of the IAS (Cadre) Guidelines whereas ordering Mr Bandyopadhyay’s recall. 

“A cadre officer could, with the concurrence of the state governments involved and the central authorities, be deputed for service underneath the central authorities or one other state authorities or underneath an organization, affiliation or physique of people, whether or not integrated or not, which is wholly or considerably owned or managed by the central authorities or by one other state authorities.”

With enter from PTI