Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi opposing the proposed amendments to the Indian Administrative Service (Cadre) Rules 1954, alleging that the changes will give overriding powers to the Union government to post bureaucrats to Central Ministries and departments without the State government’s nod.
This comes a week after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to PM Modi that the proposals are “against the spirit of cooperative federalism” and “will affect administration of the state.”
According to The Hindu, at least six states have written to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) opposing the rules.
According to Baghel, “a sense of instability and ambiguity is likely to arise among the officers of the All India Services, who are posted at various important posts in various districts and also at the State level.”
Baghel called the new move unilateral. He went on to say: “There will be confusion in the discharge of official responsibilities by them (AIS officers) and due to political interference, it will not be possible to work impartially, especially at the time of elections, due to which the administrative system in the States can crumble and a situation of instability can be created.”
“By insisting on officers to be made available for deputation through the proposed amendment, not only will the administration of States be affected but also it would become impossible to assess and plan the administration of a State – by engaging such officers who form part of the Central Deputation Reserve, fraught with the uncertainty of their sudden deputation by the Centre,” read Mamata‘s letter.
Mamata said: “I express my strong reservations to the approach followed by the Central Government in proposing such amendment to the Cadre Rules which unilaterally mandates the State Government to make such number of officers available for deputation as prescribed under Central Deputation Reserve. Not only is the proposed amendment against the spirit of cooperative federalism but the same also upsets the time-tested harmonious arrangement which has existed between the Centre and States in the matter of posting of IAS-IPS officers.”
In December last year, the Union Government had sent a letter to all the state governments seeking their opinion on the proposed amendment of the IAS (Cadre) Rules, 1954 (“Cadre Rules”). The proposed amendments seek to change the rules for central deputation of IAS officers from different states.
Opposition parties are alleging that these proposed amendments to the IAS (Cadre) Rules would allow the Union government larger control over the deputation of IAS officials.
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