Centre initiates disciplinary proceedings against ex-WB Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay

New Delhi, June 21

The Centre has initiated major penalty proceedings against former West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay for alleged misconduct and misbehavior, officials said on Monday.

Bandyopadhyay, now an adviser to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has been asked to reply to a "memorandum", within 30 days, sent to him by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) mentioning the charges, they said.

The former Chief Secretary has been warned of major penalty proceedings that allows the central government to withhold pension or gratuity, or both, either in full or in part, the officials said.

Bandopadhyay was supposed to retire on May 31, but his tenure was extended by the Centre upon request from the state government.

The wrangle over Bandopadhyay began after the chief minister and he both skipped a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Cyclone Yaas last month.

The Centre called Bandopadhyay back to Delhi the same day, but instead, he chose to retire and was appointed special advisor to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The latest bone of contention comes within a month of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party losing to Mamata Banerjee's TMC in Bengal Assembly elections.  — Agencies