Centre Initiates Action Against Alapan Bandyopadhyay For ‘Misconduct’

The memorandum sent to the former Chief Secretary states that the Centre proposes to hold “major penalty proceedings” against him.

In another flare-up between the centre and the West Bengal government led by Mamata Banerjee, the centre has initiated disciplinary proceedings against Alapan Bandyopadhyay, the former IAS officer and now Mamata’s Chief Advisor, which may deprive him of post-retirement benefits.

A “memorandum” has been sent by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to Mr Bandyopadhyay mentioning the charges against him and giving him a 30-day period to respond with a written statement of his defence, and also stating if he desires to be heard in-person.

“Major penalty proceedings have been initiated against Bandyopadhyay as per relevant service rules,” news agency PTI quoted an official as saying.

The memorandum sent to the former Chief Secretary states that the Centre proposes to hold “major penalty proceedings” against him under Rule 8 of the All India services (Discipline and Appeal) rules, 1969, read with Rule 6 of the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958. “The substance of the imputations of misconduct or misbehavior in respect of which the inquiry is proposed to be held is set out in the statement of Article of Charge,” it said.

The government at the Centre, under the rule, is allowed withhold “pension or gratuity, or both, either in full or in part, whether permanently or for a specified period”.

The centre, under the said rule, can order the “recovery from pension or gratuity of the whole or part of any pecuniary loss caused to the central or a state government, if the pensioner is found in a departmental or judicial proceedings to have been guilty of grave misconduct or to have caused pecuniary loss to the central or a state government by misconduct or negligence, during his service, including service rendered on re-employment after retirement”.