placement of Alapan Bandyopadhyay

The government approved the placement of Alapan Bandyopadhyay.

On Friday, the union government ordered West Bengal to relieve Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay for his subsequent assignment to the Center. The move came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s review meeting on the damage caused by Cyclone Yaas, which Prime Minister Mamata Banerjee skipped.

In its order, the DoPT said: “Approved the placement of Alapan Bandyopadhyay (Chief Secretary of West Bengal) with the Government of India. Consequently, the State Government is requested to relieve him with immediate effect and instruct him to report to the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Delhi before May 31.”

Bandyopadhyay, a 1987 IAS officer from the West Bengal cadre, was scheduled to retire on May 31 after his 60th birthday. However, he was granted a three-month extension following permission from the Center.

Earlier, Mamata Banerjee has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 12 about the extension. She was urging him to grant Bandyopadhyay an extension of at least six months in light of his experience handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the government approved the placement of Alapan Bandyopadhyay with the Government of India. Accordingly, the State Govt is requested to relieve him with immediate effect and direct him to report to the Dept of Personnel & Training.