Crisis looms as Bengal yet to relieve current principal Secy to Guv

KOLKATA: Constitutional crisis seems to be looming in West Bengal as the state government is yet to issue notification to replace Nandini Chakroborty, the Principal Secretary to Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, despite the Governor House relieving her of her duty and placing a formal request to the state secretariat about this.

Bureaucratic circles believe that if the state government continues to delay the process of her replacement, there will be a constitutional crisis where Chakroborty will be the centre of focus.

Explaining the matter, a retired senior bureaucrat of West Bengal cadre, on strict condition of anonymity, said that with the state government being the current reporting- authority of Chakroborty, she is bound to report on her current duty to the Governor House as long as the state government does not relieve her.

"It is only up to the state personnel & administrative reforms department, which handles the transfers of Indian Administrative Service Officers of the state cadre, to issue an order for her fresh posting.

Generally, it does not happen that if a Governor does not want anyone as Principal Secretary to the Governor House, the state government persists in going against the wish of the Governor," he said.

Speaking on the next course of possibilities, he explained, if the state government does not reply to the first request from the Governor House to replace Chakroborty, the Governor House can make a fresh request for the same.

"The state secretariat can then ask the Governor House for the reasons for seeking the replacement.

On the other hand, the Governor, by virtue of his discretionary powers, can seek the related files and give his opinion behind seeking the replacement. I feel that ultimately there will be an amicable settlement on the issue," he added.

When asked if ultimately the state government insists on not replacing Chakroborty, whether the Governor can ask the Centre to take the necessary action and recall Chakroborty as was done in case of former state chief secretary, Alapan Bandopadhyay, the former bureaucrat said that if that is done it will be most unfortunate.

"The recall of Alapan was extremely bad in law as opined by many legal experts. So personally, I do not think that something of that sort will be repeated in this case. However, these days many such things are happening which are out of the book," he concluded.