Retired Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay has approached the Calcutta High Court challenging the directive of the Principal Bench (Delhi) of the Central Administrative Tribunal. There is a possibility of that hearing to take place on Wednesday.
On October 22, the principal bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) directed the Calcutta bench to move the case to Delhi. Bandopadhyay has approached the High Court on Tuesday challenging that directive.
The Department of Personnel and Training launched an investigation into allegations of breach of discipline against Alapanbabu. He was summoned to Delhi on October 16 for a preliminary hearing. However, the hearing of his request has been postponed to November 2. He already filed an application in the High Court.
The incident dates to May 26 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi called a review meeting in Kalaikunda that day to assess the situation of Cyclone Yaas . Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the then Chief Secretary Alapan Banerjee were supposed to be present there. However, he did not attend the PM’s meeting as he was busy managing the damage.
Then came the question of his role. He was summoned to Delhi. He was given a letter to appear in the North Block in Delhi. But Alapana Banerjee decided to retire without appearing there.
As the Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority Narendra Modi did not attend the meeting, Alapana Banerjee was accused of violating the Disaster Management Act. Why no action will be taken against him for violating the Disaster Management Act? That answer was sought from Alapana Banerjee. He then retired.
The Centre made a show-cause to Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay for not attending the scheduled time in Delhi. The letter was given to him on behalf of the Centre’s staff office under the Disaster Management Act of 2005. The protest was called to find out the reason why he did not show up despite the instructions. The Department of Personnel and Training then launched an investigation into allegations of misconduct.
He recently filed a case in the Calcutta Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal seeking dismissal of the inquiry. The hearing was held on October 22. The Department of Personnel and Training had applied to the Principal Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal to move the case from Kolkata to Delhi.
On the basis of this application, the Delhi Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal directed to transfer the case from Kolkata on October 22. This time he challenged that instruction and approached the High Court.