This story is from June 11, 2019

Kolkata bishop axed within 10 months

Kolkata bishop axed within 10 months
Probal Kanto Dutta
KOLKATA: In a surprise move, Probal Kanto Dutta — appointed bishop of the Calcutta Diocese less than a year ago — was removed from his post on Monday. Paritosh Canning, the bishop of Barrackpore, has been handed the additional responsibility.
The Church of North India (CNI) called it a “routine transfer”, but Dutta — who had the shortest stint as any CNI bishop — complained of “vested interests” and said he found it “humiliating”.

As bishop, Dutta had taken a number of hard decisions, including replacing senior executives in several CNI schools.
A person close to the developments said the style of Dutta’s functioning had become a problem. “This is a direct result of his attempt to clean the system. He did too many things too quickly. This upset the status quo,” he said. The decision to remove Dutta, at an executive committee meeting of the diocese in Delhi on Monday, was taken by the synod of the Church of North India, its supreme supervisory, legislative and executive body.
Significantly, an inquiry committee has been formed to look into some of Dutta’s “excesses” over the past 10 months.
Dutta had taken some drastic steps after he took over from Rev. Ashoke Biswas last August. As chairman of the governing boards of all CNI schools, he had replaced senior executives in several schools. Among the schools that got new principals were Pratt Memorial, St John’s Diocesan and St. Thomas’ Day School. He also made changes to the board of the La Martiniere schools, ushering in fresh faces. Similar changes were made in St James’ School as well. Many felt that all this added up to discontent against Dutta. “The synod was forced to act on the complaints that had kept pouring in,” a source said.

Dutta, who was in Delhi to attend the meeting, told TOI he felt humiliated. “I tried to clean up the system, but there are vested interests working here,” he said. He will now return to the diocese of Durgapur, to which he originally belonged, and a charge he had continued to hold during his tenure as bishop of Kolkata.
Officially, though, it’s a routine transfer. “It was difficult to run the Durgapur diocese without his permanent presence. So, we have transferred him. It is a routine matter,” said Joshua Rathnam, spokesperson of the synod, who flew into the city immediately after the executive committee meeting to usher in Canning as the 21st bishop of Kolkata. The Calcutta diocese, spanning two centuries, is the country’s oldest.
Dutta’s appointment as bishop had been under dramatic circumstances as well, with the synod refusing the grant his predecessor, Rev. Biswas, an extension. The latter thereafter moved court “seeking justice” against the synod’s decision.
Biswas had retired in August 2016 at the age of 65. According to the rulebook, a bishop can be granted an extension till the age of 68, subject to his applying for renewal of the term each year. Biswas applied for an extension in 2016 and 2017, but not in 2018, as the synod had extended the retirement age of CNI bishops and presbyters from 65 to 68.
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