Discontent is brewing in the state bureaucracy over appointments of juniors to cadre postings in the state while Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers are kept waiting for postings.
As many as 16 cadre posts are headed by non-IAS to favour junior officers sidelining IAS officials for the top posts in various civic bodies and corporations. Officers from Postal Service, Railway Protection Force, Information Service, Sales Tax and other non-IAS are heading important posts supposed to be headed by IAS cadre.
Shetty threatens with Public Interest Litigation
A social activist Laxminarayan Shetty has sent notices to the union ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions along with the Maharashtra Chief Secretary to revoke the postings of non-IAS to cadre posts exiting beyond three months without approval and contrary to central rules governing IAS cadre rules.
Shetty plans to file a public interest litigation in the Bombay High Court next week if the government does not take corrective steps alleging that posting of non-IAS to cadre posts of important civic bodies and corporations is illegal. “All the ex-cadre posts are existing beyond the stipulated period without approval of the GoI and exceeds the total number of 56 posts reserved in state deputation including ex-cadre in Maharashtra,” said Shetty.
Among the senior IAS officers waiting for postings include Sonia Sethi, Pravin Gedam, Sachindra Pratap Singh, Ruchesh Jauwanhsi and Vaibhav Waghmare.
The municipal corporation heads of Ulhasnagar, Sangli-Miraj Kupwad, Amravati, Nanded Waghala, Meera Bhayander, Vasai Virar, Bhiwandi Nizampura, Malegaon and Panvel are being headed by non-IAS officers.
Similarly, the posts of Managing Director MTDC is held by non-IRS officer Shradha Joshi who also holds additional charge of MD Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal and Member Secretary Women Commission while another IRS Dr Sudhakar Shinde is Municipal Commissioner of Panvel Municipal Corporation with additional charge of CEO Mahtma Jyotiba Phule Jan Aarogya Yojana. Other non-cadre officers including Indian Railways Protection Force Service Vikas Dhakane has been appointed as additional municipal commissioner of Pune Municipal Corporation, Indian Railways Account Service officer Sunil Ware is Director General Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute, Indian Postal Service cadre Dhammajyoti Gajbhiye is Managing Director of Sant Rohidas Charmodyog and Charmakar Development Corporation and India Information Service cadre Rahul Tadke is Deputy Director General Information and Public Relation Department.
Move "arbitrary and illegal," says an IAS officer
“The government move of creating a number of ex-cadre posts in an artificial manner, without getting the approval of the Council of Ministers, to favour junior officers is arbitrary and illegal violating Articles 14, 16 and 21 of the constitution,” said an IAS officer awaiting posting.
According to Mahesh Zagade, former Pune Municipal Commissioner and FDA chief, Maharashtra doesn’t have transfers and posting policy for IAS officers and, hence, it’s imperative to have such a policy and then adhere to it. “It is the duty and responsibility of the Civil Services Board headed by the Chief Secretary to assess suitability of the officers for a particular post and accordingly the proposal for transfer or posting is submitted to the chief minister for final decision as is the spirit of the SC judgement of 2013,” said Zagade.
While Maharashtra IAS officers wait for their postings, other state cadres with close political connections get postings as collectors in the state. Sachin Karve from Uttrakhand, Balaji Manjule from Andhra Pradesh, Rajesh Patil of Orissa posted at CIDCO, Ajit Patil of Kerala, Nitin Jawale of Orissa posted at SICOM and Kiran Gite are amongst the many favored by the state government.
“Rarely Maharashtra Cadre IAS recruits take central deputation. It is mandatory for 10% of the state IAS officers to go on central deputation as per cadre rules but no one takes central postings because Maharashtra is the golden egg,” said another senior bureaucrat.
Former IPS turned lawyer YP Singh says that aggrieved IAS officers should approach the central administrative tribunal against such violations.
