The Centre has initiated disciplinary proceedings against Alapan Bandyopadhyay, now Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s special adviser, for not attending a meeting held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Cyclone Yaas last month on 28 May.
West Bengal’s chief secretary who retired on 31 May, has been asked to reply to a “memorandum” from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). The government has given him 30 days to present his side of the story in either a written statement or state his wish to be heard in person or face the consequences.
The letter by the DoPT, dated 16 June, read, “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.”
The memorandum also stated, “The substance of the imputations of misconduct or misbehavior in respect of which the inquiry is proposed to be held is set out in the statement of Article of Charge.”
Bandyopadhyay is to face proceedings under service’s Rule 6 of Death-cum-Retirement Benefits Rules, 1958 read with Rule 8 of Discipline Rules 1969. According to officials, the rules allow the government at the Centre to retain his pension or gratuity, or both, either in part or in full.
“Recovery from pension or gratuity of the whole or part of any pecuniary loss caused to the central or a state government, if the pensioner is found in departmental or judicial proceedings to have been guilty of grave misconduct or to have caused pecuniary loss to the central or a state government by misconduct or negligence, during his service, including service rendered on re-employment after retirement” can be ordered by the Centre under the mentioned rules.
Last month, the government recalled the 1987-cadre IAS officer to the national capital for central deputation on 31 May after he missed the meeting along with Mamata Banerjee on 28 May.
Mamata Banerjee refused to transfer Bandyopadhyay to Delhi amidst the pandemic and called the government’s action “vendetta”. Bandyopadhyay announced his retirement from the post of chief secretary after the government insisted that he must report to Delhi by 31 May. On the same day, CM Banerjee appointed him as her special advisor.
