Ex-CS sends a ‘strong’ reply to govt: ‘Acted on CM orders’

Defending himself before the Centre, former West Bengal chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay on Thursday evening sent a “strong” reply to the showcause notice slapped on him by the Union home ministry under the Disaster Management Act for his absence at the review meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Kalaikunda Air Force Station on the devastation caused by Cyclone Yaas on May 28.

The retired IAS officer of the 1987 batch stated with logic in his reply that he had accompanied chief minister Mamata Banerjee on her “instruction” to meet the PM, according to sources. Mr Bandyopadhyay also pointed out that he came out with the CM on her “instruction” after submitting a report to the PM and obtaining his permission, sources revealed.

He further argued that he did not violate any protocol since he was the state chief secretary then and it was his “duty to abide by the orders of the CM”, the sources claimed.

Mr Bandyopadhyay’s response on the final day of the three-day deadline came a day after the Trinamul Congress chief described the controversy on his tenure as a “closed chapter”, while declaring her government’s “full support” to him over the MHA’s showcause notice hours before his retirement on May 31.

In its notice, the MHA had found fault with the state’s top bureaucrat for “arriving 15 minutes late” at the venue and “leaving immediately”.

“...by this act of abstaining himself from the review meeting taken

by the Prime Minister, who is also the chairman of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), in the aftermath of Cyclone Yaas as part of his visit to cyclone affected areas in the State of West Bengal, Shri Alapan Bandopadhyay, chief secretary, government of West Bengal has acted in a manner tantamount to refusing to comply with lawful directions of the Central Government and is thus violative of Section 51(b) of the Disaster Management Act 2005,” the MHA stated.

Mr Bandyopadhyay was “called upon to explain in writing to this ministry within a period of 3 (three) days, as to why action should not be taken against him under Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act 2005 for the aforesaid violation under the Disaster Management Act 2005.”

Meanwhile, the state’s new chief secretary, Mr H.K. Dwiwedi, also sent a report to the Centre which had asked him to inform it about the new role of Mr Bandyopadhyay as the chief adviser to the chief minister.