Even as Bengal Chief Minister made a hurricane visit to Kalaikunda airbase where she met Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a few minutes to place a claim of `20,000 crore for reconstruction of cyclone hit areas of coastal Bengal, Central Government sources termed the her absence from the main review meeting with the Prime Minister as “callous”, arrogant” and “unmindful” of the welfare of the people of Bengal.
Expressing shock at the conduct of the State Government, the Centre on Friday recalled West Bengal Chief Cecretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay and asked the West Bengal Government to relieve him with immediate effect and direct him to “report to the DoPT by 10am on May 31, 2021”.
Central officials alleged the Chief Minister’s “arrogance” prevented her from allowing senior officials like Chief Secretary or Home Secretary to make a presentation.
“The entire presentation was loaded on the screen. However, her pettiness prevented officers from presenting it to the PM,” it was said. The day for Bengal was, however, saved by Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari who made a case for his State asking for Central support, sources said.
Officials said though the Prime Minister, Union Ministers and the Governor waited “patiently” for half an hour, the representatives of the Bengal Government did not show up and then “suddenly Mamata, in her haughtiness, stormed in and handed over a bunch of papers on the cyclone impact to the PM and said that she is leaving as she has other visits lined up”.