West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay has been recalled by the Central government to come to New Delhi. The Centre has asked the West Bengal government to relieve the officer immediately with a direction to him to report in Delhi on Monday.
Bandyopadhyay, a 1987-cadre IAS officer, has been deputed to the Ministry of Public Grievances and Pensions. He has been asked to report DOPT, North Block, New Delhi at 10 AM on May 31.
Bandyopadhyay was earlier due to retire on May 31 after completion of 60 years of age. However, he was granted a three-month extension. In a notification, issued on May 24 from the state secretariat, West Bengal Government had asked for a three-month extension of service of current Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay.
Bandyopadhyay's tenure was extended as the Chief Secretary by the Government of India on May 24. Mamata Banerjee had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 12, urging him to grant Bandyopadhyay an extension for at least six months in view of his experience of handling the COVID-19 pandemic.
The rule says a cadre officer may, with the concurrence of the state governments concerned and the Central government, be deputed for service under the central government or another state government.
Alapan Bandyopadhyay took over as the Chief Secretary of West Bengal after Rajiv Sinha retired in September last year.
