Odisha Objection To Changes In IAS Cadres Rules: States’ Authority Not To Be Affected, Says Union Minister

Bhubaneswar: The Centre on Friday clarified that the proposal for an amendment to the IAS Cadre Rules would not affect the interest or authority of the states.

In a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Department of Personnel and Training Jitendra Singh said the proposal to amend the IAS (Cadre) Rules, 1954 aims at ensuring availability of enough IAS officers for Central deputation and would not affect the authority of the states or lead to instability in their administration.

Singh said the Indian Administrative Service (Fixation of Cadre Strength) Regulations, 1955 contain provision for a Central deputation reserve not exceeding 40% of the senior duty posts of a cadre/joint cadre. However, state governments have not been sponsoring adequate number of officers for Central deputation, he added.

The minister said it was to address this issue that comments were sought from  the states and Union Territories in terms of the provisions contained in Section 3 of All India Services Act, 1951 on a proposal to amend Rule 6(1) of IAS (Cadre) Rules, 1954.

“The question of amendments affecting the authority of states or leading to instability in states’ administration does not arise,” Singh said.

It may be noted that at least six states including Odisha had opposed the Centre’s proposal for an amendment to the IAS Cadre Rules which would enable it to post IAS officers on Central deputation bypassing reservations of the state governments. They had informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the proposal, if implemented, would affect the administration of states.

The General Administration department of Odisha government had written to the Centre stating that the developmental projects in the state will be affected at implementation level, if civil servants are taken on Central deputation.