The decision to move CAT came as a response to the questioning of a one-member inquiry committee set up by the Centre regarding the violation of norms by “not attending a meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi” at Kalaikunda on May 28, sources said. The committee had summoned Bandyopadhyay to Delhi on October 18, but Bandyopadhyay challenged CAT on the same day by questioning the jurisdiction of the Government of India in initiating a probe for ‘misconduct’ against him. Sources close to Bandyopadhyay claimed that in a federal structure, the Centre can only advise the state government to conduct any disciplinary action against an IAS officer, but cannot probe directly. The judicial proceedings have begun and the final response from CAT is awaited.
The incident became more of a political mishap than bureaucratic protocol. The centre issued a show-cause notice asking him to reply why charges would not be framed against him for not attending a review meeting of the Prime Minister at Kalaikunda on May 28, which was considered a violation of the service rules of all India services.
In a reply to the show-cause notice, Bandyopadhyay denied all the charges by claiming that he had attended the meeting along with the Chief Minister and left after taking permission of the PM in accordance with the protocol. But the Centre is clearly unsatisfied with the reply as per sources.
