Chief Secretary cannot be working like CM's personal staff: Centre

New Delhi, June 02: Amid the war of words over former West Bengal chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay's central deputation, the central government on Wednesday said that the top bureaucrat's conduct could lead to anarchy and, make "severe dent to IAS".

According to reports, the Central government said that a chief secretary cannot be working like a personal staff of the Chief Minister.

"West Bengal former Chief Secy Alapan Bandyopadhyay had to brief the PM and follow up. But when PM arrived at the briefing he was not present. And after being contacted by PM's entourage he came for the meeting room and left without attending the review meeting," the central government also said.

"Did Alapan Bandyopadhyay subject himself to 'whims' of West Bengal CM so his post-retirement could be 'handsomely rewarding'," they asked.

Earlier today, Mamata Banerjee claimed that Bandyopadhyay is a closed chapter now, but asserted that her government will stand by the former chief secretary of the state.

"Alapan Bandyopadhyay chapter is over now. The West Bengal government will give full support to Alapan Bandyopadhyay in whatever is going around with him," Mamata Banerjee said in a press conference.

Amid a tug-of-war between the Centre and the Mamata Banerjee government over Bandyopadhyay, the Union Home Ministry on Tuesday served a show-cause notice to him under a stringent provision of the Disaster Management Act that entails imprisonment up to two years.