Nandini Chakroborty's transfer from Raj Bhavan an insult to official: Trinamool leader

Kolkata, Feb 16 (IANS) The manner of transfer of IAS officer Nandini Chakroborty from the post of West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose's Principal Secretary was an insult for a Bengali bureaucrat, Trinamool Congress state General Secretary Kunal Ghosh said on Thursday.

The state government on Wednesday had appointed Chakroborty as the Principal Secretary, Tourism on Wednesday and after that also received a request from the Raj Bhavan for initiating proceedings against her for violation of All India Services Rules.

In relation to the development, Ghosh said that information is coming that Chakroborty raised some questions on Bose's procedure for appointing a special advisory council of retired bureaucrats and Indian Police Service (IPS) officers from other states.

"This was an unjustified demand from the Governor. But still the state government showed courtesy by replacing her. But still I will say that the Governor could have refrained from insulting the Bengali and woman IAS officer," he said. However, he refused to comment on the information that the Governor is insisting on proceedings against Chakroborty even after she has been transferred.

Ghosh also raised questions on why the Governor-proposed advisory council had not given preference to retired Bengali bureaucrats or Bengali bureaucrats posted in other states. "However, since it is entirely an administrative matter, the party will not get involved in it," he said.

Citing Bose's statements about his passion for Bengali language immediately after taking over as the Governor of West Bengal, Ghosh said that he even performed the rituals of beginning to learn the Bengali language and asked if his passions were real.

Political observers feel that Ghosh's comments are clear indications of probable tensions between the Raj Bhavan and the state Secretariat in the coming days.