Return of the ‘Briefcase Bureaucrats’ Era?

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Dispur seems to be heading towards an administrative crisis as the number of Assam-cadre babus chilling out in Delhi is fast increasing.

Even though reasons are not yet known, a new trend of going to Delhi on deputation has become prominent among IAS officers of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre. Altogether 43 IAS officers from the State are currently serving in Delhi on deputation. More are on queue to go to Delhi on the same ground. The trend of staying outside Assam has become so intense among bureaucrats that a few (six to seven) IAS officers have even changed their cadres to ensure their stay in places of their choices and conveniences.

The development has already started causing an adverse impact in the State administration with the existing bureaucrats getting overburdened with various responsibilities. A single IAS officer has been entrusted with responsibilities of multiple departments. Heavy workload of multiple departments on some bureaucrats has resulted in non-performance and piling up of loads of files dealing with vital public matters, a source in Dispur said, adding that effective execution of public welfare schemes has been effected due to such development.

There was a time when a section of IAS officers were called ‘Briefcase Bureaucrats’ as they used to spend long periods of their tenures outside Assam. They were seen coming to Assam with briefcases only to stay for a few days. Is the ‘Briefcase Bureaucrats’ era on the verge of returning to the State? Going by the present trend among bureaucrats to go to Delhi on deputation and various other grounds, the possibility of such return cannot be ruled out.

What might be reasons behind the rush of IAS officers to leave Assam and stay in Delhi? Sources said either these officers may not happy and comfortable with the working environment or leaving the State for personal reasons such as career advancement and family commitments.

An IAS officer normally gets around 15 years to remain outside the State. The bureaucrat goes for central deputation in Delhi for five years, two years for cooling off period, two years for study leave and another six years to remain in his home cadre posting (if the officer desires). Even after getting such a longer period, many babus are often reluctant to return to Assam and extend their cooling-off or study-leave periods on various pretexts. There have been instances when some bureaucrats returned to the State after the expiry of their central deputation term, only to pull strings and manage their top bosses to return to Delhi.

A senior retired IAS officer said that there is no bar on bureaucrats to go to Delhi on deputation. “But IAS officers in a lot cannot go to Delhi because it will result in administrative chaos and crisis in the State,” he added.

The officer pointed to limited scope of career advancement, non-existence of leading higher education institutions for children and family commitments as the prime reasons for the present IAS officers leaving the State. He stated that the State Government has to draw up an effective action plan to prevent such exodus of babus.

Sources added that many IAS officers tend to stay in Delhi on the ground of attending important meetings with various ministries of the Central Government. But many of such meetings could be attended and coordinated by the Office of the Resident Commissioner from Assam in New Delhi, the source said.

It is high time for the Assam Government to put pressure on the Centre to immediately repatriate those officials of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre whose deputation period has already expired. Otherwise, the smooth administration will surely be a casualty.

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