Alapan Bandyopadhyay chapter is over, says Mamata

Bandopadhyay was set to retire on May 31, but the state had recently sought and received permission for extension of his tenure by three months

Indicating that she will not back down from the tussle with the Centre over former Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that the state government will provide full support to him, adding that the episode is now “over”.

“The case is over now. The chapter is over now. He has retired. Whatever is going on with him, the government will give full support to him,” said Mamata. She was speaking to reporters at the State Secretariat.

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A bitter confrontation started between the Centre and Didi's government when the former recently issued a transfer order to Bandyopadhyay asking him to join the Union Government on May 31. However, the feisty Chief Minister refused to release him and conveyed her decision to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a strongly worded letter dubbing the order as “unilateral”.

In a dramatic turn of events, Mamata on the evening of May 31 announced that Bandypadhayay has retired and has been appointed as Chief Advisor to the Chief Minister for three years. She also said that since Bandyopadhyay was retired, his services were no longer available to the Centre.

The Centre had earlier granted him a three-month extension upon the state government’s request that his services were required for dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.