Stalin, Vijayan Write To PM Modi Seeking Roll Back Of Proposed Amendments To IAS (Cadre) Rules

The Central government has proposed an amendment to the IAS (Cadre) Rules, 1954 that would enable it to post IAS officers on central deputation, bypassing reservations of the state governments.

New Delhi: MK Stalin and Pinarayi Vijayan joined the list of Chief Ministers of opposition-ruled states in urging the Prime Minister to roll back the proposed amendments to IAS (Cadre) deputation rules.

Saying that the proposed rules will create ‘fear psychosis’ among the civil service officials, Vijayan in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the current deputation rules are already loaded in favour of the Union and that more stringency would weaken the root of cooperative federalism.

"The proposed amendments in the Deputation Rules of All India Services will definitely induce a fear psychosis and an attitude of hesitancy among All India Service Officers to implement policies of a state government, which are formed by party/parties politically opposed by the ruling party at the Centre", Vijayan said in the letter, as reported by news agency PTI.

He further wrote that in the federal structure, the state governments are at par with the Centre as both are elected by the people although the Constitution gives the Centre the jurisdiction over a wide range of subjects.

"We need to recognise that in a vibrant democratic and federal polity, States and the Centre can be ruled by political formations with vastly different ideologies and political views. But these governments function within the framework of the Constitution", the letter said.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin also wrote to PM Modi requesting him to drop the proposed amendments and ‘instead engage with the State governments to further strengthen the federal spirit of the nation.’

The letter said that the proposed rules would aggravate the governance deficit in many states due to a shortage of officers.

“State Governments are on the forefront of implementation of various programmes including the schemes of the Union government at State level. The States also face frequent natural disasters which demand services of IAS officers in the State more than elsewhere,” read the letter as reported by news agency ANI.

It is to be noted that the Central government has proposed an amendment to the IAS (Cadre) Rules, 1954 that would enable it to post IAS officers on central deputation, bypassing reservations of the state governments.