Sack orders trigger flurry of resignations

Kolkata: In a major administrative reshuffle, the new state govt on Monday directed all departments to immediately terminate the tenures of nominated members, directors and chairpersons serving in various non-statutory bodies, boards, organisations and public sector undertakings. The order prompted a spate of resignations across boards and non-statutory organisations. It also raised uncertainty over publication of HS results and the conducting of JEE. But department officials assured these processes would not be hampered even if the heads were removed.The heads of the several boards and councils under higher education and school education departments started depositing letters seeking release orders to return to their previous workplaces. Kartik Manna, chairperson of DPSC, resigned on May 8.A major concern was raised over the HS results, scheduled to be declared on May 14, while the Bengal JEE is set to be held on May 24. The president and secretary of the HS Council also come under this purview. A school education department official said, "There will be no interruption in the publication of results or the conducting of exams."The same concern exists regarding the SSC where recruitment of assistant teachers is underway at the HS level and document verification has been initiated at the secondary level. Interviews and other processes are pending for staff recruitment to meet the Aug deadline set by SC. However, officials assured the recruitment process would not be paused.No member of West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights or West Bengal Commission for Women resigned, with officials pointing out that both are statutory bodies. The order also said the services of officers and officials serving on re-employment or extension beyond the normal age of superannuation of 60 years are to be terminated immediately across govt departments.All additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries and secretaries have been asked to take "action" to implement the order with immediate effect. Earlier, three former state chief secretaries — Alapan Bandyopadhyay, Hari Krishna Dwivedi and B P Gopalika — resigned as chief advisors to former CM Mamata Banerjee following BJP's win. Manoj Pant, another former chief secretary, also resigned as principal secretary to Banerjee, sources said.