KOLKATA: In an unprecedented move, the West Bengal Legislative Assembly secretariat has suspended the marshal-cum-security officer of the Assembly, citing alleged negligence in duty and irresponsible conduct.
Assembly Secretary Samarendranath Das on Tuesday placed marshal-cum-security officer Debobrata Mukherjee under suspension and ordered departmental proceedings against him.
According sources, Mukherjee was accused of serious lapses during the orientation programme for newly elected MLAs of the 18th Assembly, particularly in maintaining coordination among legislators and overseeing security arrangements during the event attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
After examining the alleged lapses, the Assembly secretariat decided to initiate disciplinary action, sources said. Further administrative steps will be taken after the departmental inquiry report is submitted.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose have been informed about the development, sources added.
The suspension and initiation of a departmental inquiry against a House marshal is the first such action in the history of the West Bengal Assembly.
Mukherjee had recently come into focus during a stormy Assembly session in which Trinamool Congress MLA Kunal Ghosh, belonging to the Mamata Banerjee faction, was suspended by Speaker Rathindra Bose following a heated confrontation in the Assembly. Acting on the Speaker’s directive, Mukherjee and his team escorted Ghosh out of the Assembly, an incident that triggered protests and a walkout by legislators loyal to the Mamata Banerjee camp, protesting the incident.