Joining the bandwagon of non-BJP ruled states, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to drop the proposed amendments to the IAS (Cadre) Deputation Rules, 1954.
“The Union cannot usurp an existing provision to the disadvantage of the State in a federal polity. It will tend to weaken the core principles on which the country has been painstakingly built over the past 75 glorious years. Demolition is easy, but reconstruction has always been a long process,” Stalin contended in his letter, a copy of which was circulated to the media.
“The proposed amendments would cause irreparable damage to the spirit of cooperative federalism that exists between Union and the States and result in the concentration of powers with the Union government,” he cautioned. "Central deployment should be done voluntarily without any need for coercive rules," the letter read.
According to Stalin, many State governments were woefully short of officers at specific seniorities, primarily due to the wrong cadre management policies followed by the Union government.
States also face frequent natural disasters, which demands the services of IAS officers in the State more than elsewhere.
“Given this situation, forcing the State governments to depute officers would surely aggravate the governance deficit in various States due to shortage of officers and also it is an affront to the administrative framework of the States,” he said adding the Centre’s lateral entry recruitment has also affected the morale of the officers who seek deputation on their own willingness.
"The Centre’s “hasty eagerness” in bringing about drastic changes without going through the consultative process was grossly violative of the federal structure of the nation," he said.
Stalin further added that the “steel frame of India” should have the independence to speak out its mind, which has a sense of security, where their rights and privileges are secured.
“I request you to drop these proposed amendments, instead engage with State Governments to further strengthen the federal spirit,” Stalin said in its letter to the PM.
