NEW DELHI: The house ministry late Monday evening issued a note to retired West Bengal chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay under Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act, that lays down penalties for people who deny, without reasonable causeto comply with a direction given on behalf of the Centre or National Executive Committee, regarding crisis management.
This followed closely perspective of Bandyopadhyay having skipped a critical meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at West Bengal a week to assess the situation arising from Cyclone Yaas.
Modi function as chairman of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the first secretary had been responsible under Disaster Control to attend the inspection meeting convened by him.
The ministry has requested Bandyopadhay to describe in just fourteen days, the deadline being Thursday, his actions of bypassing the critical assembly held from the PM.
Resources said if his excuse isn’t found to be more satisfactory, additional actions might follow.
The offence under Section 51 involves registration of an FIR and upon conviction of the accused, an one-year prison sentence or with good.
This prison term will endure extended to your maximum two decades in which the refusal to comply with instructions has led to several lifestyles or impending threat.
Incidentally, a different provision from the DM Act– Department 56 — says an officer, about whom any obligation was levied by or under this Act and that ceases or fails to execute withdraws himself from the obligations of the office shall, unless he’s acquired the express written consent of his official superior or has additional legal excuse for this, be punishable with imprisonment for a term that might extend to a year or with good.
It’s however not clear in this provision also has been sought to be redeemed by MHA.