Modi Govt s Move With Former Bengal Chief Secy Is in Sharp Contrast to History
From Sardar Patel to C. Subramaniam, India s history is peppered with examples of leaders who succeeded in being respectful to bureaucrats.
Mamata Banerjee, Alapan Bandopadhyay and Narendra Modi. Photos: PTI
Rights8 hours ago
The unusual order of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to the then Chief Secretary of West Bengal to report by 10 am of May 31, 2021, at North Block goes against the very essence of service rules governing deputation.
Such a ‘top down’ approach to summon a Chief Secretary on active deputation without his consent is quite unheard of in the annals of public administration in India and reeks of the Union government’s agenda.
The notice was reportedly sent hours before Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee announced that Alapan Bandopadhyay would retire and turn down the Centre's recall of him.
“It seems odd and rather improper for the Centre to first approve Bandyopadhyay’s extension and then recall him within days,” former cabinet secretary B.K. Chaturvedi said.