Two Congress chief ministers, Rajasthan’s Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh’s Bhupesh Baghel, on Friday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to scrap the proposed change to the cadre rules for the three All India Services, arguing that the proposed amendments will hurt the spirit of cooperative federalism, create uncertainties for officials and impact their ability to discharge their duties impartially, particularly during elections.
The letters by chief ministers comes a day after West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee put out her second letter to PM Narendra Modi that described a new version of the proposed amendments even “more draconian” than the Centre’s initial proposal.
First, West Bengal, and now Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, have argued that the proposed amendment will ensure that the Centre can unilaterally requisition services of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers serving in the states without the concurrence of the officer concerned or the state government.
Under existing rules, officers of the three All India Service (AIS) - the IAS, Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service officers - are attached to a state (or a group of smaller states) as a cadre where they serve unless they opt to serve in the union government. When they do exercise this option, the state concerned has to concur to their request before they can even be considered for a posting by the Centre.
In his letter in Hindi to PM Modi, Ashok Gehlot said the proposed amendments will violate the constitutional boundaries prescribed for central and state governments, impact the spirit of All India Service officers posted in the state working fearlessly and faithfully, and weaken the AIS, which were described by the country’s first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as the “steel frame of India’.
Gehlot went to quote from Sardar Patel’s speech during the debate on the All India Services in the Constituent Assembly on October 10, 1949, to underline the importance of shielding the officers from uncertainties and pressures. “If you want an efficient All India Service, I would advise you. I request you to give an opportunity to the services to express themselves freely. If you are a premier, it will be your duty to allow your secretary, or chief secretary, or other services under you to express their opinion without fear or favour… Without it, you will not have united India. A good All India Service would be one that has the freedom to speak their mind, which has a sense of security that you can stick to your word, and where their rights and privileges are protected”.
Gehlot said after this amendment, the central government will be able to call officers of the All India Service on deputation to the Centre without the consent of the officer concerned or the state government.
Bhupesh Baghel, the second chief minister of a Congress-ruled state, echoed the Rajasthan chief minister.
“They would be in dilemma while discharging their duties and due to political interference, it will not be possible for them to work impartially, particularly at the time of elections. It may lead to a collapse of the administrative system in states and a situation of instability could be created,” Baghel added, according to a news agency.
Apprehending the possibility of misuse of the amended rules in the near future, Baghel said, “There were many instances in the past wherein officers of the All India Services were targeted unnecessarily. There are adequate provisions in the present rules for maintaining a balance and coordination between state governments and Centre.” The Chhattisgarh government strongly opposes any amendments in the existing rules, the CM said.
(With inputs from agencies)