Administration running short of 228 Assam Civil Service officers, situation set to worsen

GUWAHATI: The current scene of filling up the vacant posts of ACS (Assam Civil Service) officers in the State is a recipe for the for situation going from bad to worse, at least till mid-2022.

The State administration runs short of as many as 228 ACS officers now, and the possibility of recruiting such officers in the next 12 months is remote.

According to Personnel department sources, the total number of sanctioned posts of ACS officers in the state is 1,100. However, the State administration is making do with 872 ACS officers now, including the 135 newly recruited ones. In February this year, 135 ACS officers were recruited from the selection list prepared by the APSC (Assam Public Service Commission).

The APSC did advertise for holding the CCE (Combined Competitive Examinations) in 2020 to fill up 121 posts of ACS officers in the State. The process for applications was also completed. However, the examination process had to be put on hold after February 26, 2021 with the declaration of the model code of conduct for the Assembly election in the State by the Election Commission of India. The development prevented the APSC from fixing dates for the examination schedule. It takes at least a year from holding preliminary examinations, main examinations, viva voce to declaring the results.

The situation is set to be worse as four/five ACS officers go on retirement every month. Till the next recruitment, the State administration will have to bear the brunt.

Poor strength of ACS officers has been a chronic one in the State.

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