New Delhi: The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has recently proposed changes in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Cadre Rules, 1954, which will eventually take away the power to transfer IAS officers from state.
However, the proposed changes didn't land well with the states, and a few states, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, shot a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi objecting to these amendments.
In the letter, she mentioned that these changes will eventually harm the federal structure of the country and the basic spirit of the Constitution.
Apart from Mamta Banerjee, Former Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah also expressed concern over the matter. According to him, this decision of the central government will prove to be another nail in the coffin of the federal structure.
Meanwhile, Mamta Banerjee and Omar Abdullah are also getting support from some other leaders and IAS officers against this decision of the Center.
According to reports, the central government is going to bring this amendment bill in the upcoming budget session as the preparations have been completed in this regard.
Notably, as mentioned above, if this is passed, then the center will have the authority to deploy any IAS officer on central deputation without the permission of the state government.
According to the IAS Cadre Rules 1954, the officers are recruited by the Central Government. After this, when they are allotted the cadres of their state, then those officers automatically come under that state.
According to the rules of 1954, an officer can get deputation in the Central Government or any other State only with the consent of his cadre State.
However, if there is any disagreement between the state and the central government over the deputation, then the final decision is considered to be of the central government and the state government has to accept this decision.
As per the proposed changes, the central government can post the officer central deputation, citing public interest. The cadre of the state to which the officer belongs, that state will have to implement the decision of the Center within the stipulated time frame.
It is also proposed in the amendment that if any state government does not implement the decision of the Center in time and does not relieve the said officer from the services of his/her state, then the officer will be considered free from the date fixed by the central government.
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