Bengal’s chief secretary retires amidst row with Centre

New Delhi, May 31: West Bengal chief secretary Alapan Bandyoadhyay has retired amidst the row with the Centre.

He has been made adviser to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Earlier in the day Mamata in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that she would not be releasing the chief secretary of the state.

She said that she was stunned and shocked by the unilateral order asking Bengal chief secretary Alapan Bandyoadhyay to report to the Centre. "The government of Bengal cannot release, and is not releasing, its Chief Secretary at this critical hour, on the basis of our understanding that the earlier order of extension, issued after lawful consultation in accordance with applicable laws, remains operational and valid," Mamata wrote in the letter to the PM.

I wanted a quiet word with you, a meeting between PM & CM as usual. You however included a local MLA from your party who had no locus to be present at a PM-CM meeting, she also wrote in the letter.