Team News Riveting
Kolkata, May 31
West Bengal’s former top babu Alapan Bandyopadhyay would have never anticipated such a flaring farewell on retirement from the prestigious All India Service (AIS).
Ironically, just 10 days ago, the Centre agreed to the West Bengal government’s demand and granted three-month extension to Alapan Bandyopadhyay— the 1987-batch IAS officer who is in the centre of tussle. But the same West Bengal government did not agree to Centre’s demand and bluntly refused to relieve him for a central deputation.
Bandyopadhyay was told to report to the Centre tomorrow but he chose to retire as Chief Secretary. He will now serve as the Chief Adviser to Bengal govt for 3 years. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also announced the elevation of state home secretary H K Dwivedi as new state chief secretary.
“Today, Alapan Bandyopadhyay has retired as the chief secretary. He has been made the chief adviser to the Chief Minister. He will start working in his new post from tomorrow for a tenure of three years. H K Dwivedi has been made the new state chief secretary,” Banerjee said during a news conference.
The Centre had been blamed for calling Bandyopadhyay on deputation. The development flared up fresh debate. But what remained undebatable was the conduct of the state Chief Secretary, an AIS official whose employer is Centre and not the state.
Was it a fair protocol that an AIS official ignore the Head of the State? The question would remain a topic of debate in the bureaucratic circle. Instead of acting on the whims of political power and plunging the bureaucracy in politics, Bandyopadhyay could have found a middle way.
After all, the Centre did not had any reservation against him till the Kalaikunda incident unfolded. For, the Centre never ever gave a second thought when it came to grant him extension.
