IPA Newspack
  • Home
  • now
  • politics
  • business
  • markets

IPA /

IPA Special

IPA Special

Centre Is Again Weakening Federal Principles By Unilateral Action On IAS Rules

By Sushil Kutty

IAS officers don’t grow on trees. Both the Centre and states want them. Now, the Centre says it is facing a shortage of IAS and that the states are refusing to relieve IAS officers for central deputation. So, the Modi Government will amend IAS rules and divest the states of powers to veto the Centre’s request for IAS officers.

The states don’t like it. Some are up in arms, including a few BJP state governments. But for the Modi Government it’s always been my way or the highway. The Centre wants to pass the IAS rules’ amendments in the forthcoming session of Parliament, which begins January 31.

The Modi Government wants to push through the amendments in both houses. There will be ruckus and pandemonium, and repeated adjournments. Opposition MPs will throw papers at the ‘Chair’. A bunch will climb atop tables and push the marshals around. Suspensions will follow. For the Modi Government, it will be excuse for business as usual.

Surely, what is with this Prime Minister? The proposal to amend the IAS rules is pure brute. It has most states up in arms. BJP spokespersons can defend Modi as much as they can, but there is no two ways that Modi gives the impression of ‘dictator first, Prime Minister second’. Modi has mastered the art and science of behaving like a dictator while acting out the democrat’s role.

What stops him from hiring administrators “laterally”, which is not new to him? Instead, New Delhi sends a diktat to all state chief secretaries and tells them point blank that an IAS officer the Centre wants would “stand relieved” if the state government doesn’t send him by so and so date. If this is not dictatorial what is? Critics of the diktat say the Modi Government is drunk with power, constantly cooking up excuses and finding ways to grab more power.

The excuse now is that the Centre wants IAS officers for central deputation. States have been given time till January 25 to fall in line. But they cannot say ‘No’. Does a dictator reside in 7, Lok Kalyan Marg?

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has sounded the bugle. The amendments to the IAS rules say that “wherever the state government concerned does not give effect to the decision of the central government within the specified time, the officers shall stand relieved from cadre from the date as may be specified by the central government.”

Like, somebody said, “Kuchbhi!”

That said, there are those who stand with the Centre, including civil servants who say the central government cannot be faulted because there’s a shortage of IAS officers and the states cannot be custodians of civil servants. The amendments question the states’ jurisdictions.

With the amendments, the Centre will be able to retain and restrain, even recall.

The problem is these powers can be used to serve political interests, to intimidate state cadre officers. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has registered her protest. She says the amendments are contrary to the “spirit of cooperative federalism” and that they upset the “time-tested harmonious arrangements which have existed between the Centre and the states in the matter of posting of IAS and IPS officers.”

The amendments, says Mamata, make a “permanent dent in the spirit of cooperative federalism and the consultative approach.” She requested the Prime Minister to “intervene”, but that is naïve, because nothing moves at the Centre without Modi’s consent. Modi’s ministers are puppets and Modi is puppeteer.

Mamata Banerjee considers the amendments “draconian.” She has warned Modi and told him “not to push.” In her first letter, Banerjee expressed “strong reservations” on the changes. In a second one, she wrote that the amendments will leave the officers and state governments “at the mercy of the Central Government”.

Mamata is not the kind who will sit quietly. She has spoken to other opposition-ruled states. The Tamil Nadu government of MK Stalin will protest. Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Meghalaya have written to the Centre. The Maharashtra government said it opposes the move. The feeling in all these states is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the perennial fiddler on the roof, is up to mischief and the idea of India is once again under attack. (IPA Service)

IPA Special

BJP Juggernaut Is On The Roll; Where Is The Congress?

July 1, 2022
IPA Special

In Maharashtra, Fadnavis Is The Main Driver Of The New Ruling Combination

July 1, 2022
IPA Special

Zero Hunger By 2030 Not Possible On Business-As-Usual Path

July 1, 2022
IPA Special

Corporate Media In India Not Taking Strong Position Against Attacks On Human Rights

July 1, 2022
IPA Special

Dharmendra Pradhan Seeks CM Nitish Kumar’s Nod On Murmu

July 1, 2022
IPA Special

Trinamool Congress MLA Comparing Mamata With Sarada Devi Creates Furore

July 1, 2022
IPA Special

Supreme Court Has Failed To Secure Justice For Gujarat Riot Victims

July 1, 2022
IPA Special

Agnipath Scheme Challenges All Traditions Of Indian Military Service

July 1, 2022
IPA Special

Public Sector General Insurance Unions Reject Wage Revision Offer

July 1, 2022
Happening Now

Supreme Court holds Nupur responsible for igniting tension

July 1, 2022
Happening Now

Eknath Shinde projects himself as Bal Thackeray’s real heir

July 1, 2022
Politics

CM Shinde says Fadnavis has a ‘big heart’

July 1, 2022
Happening Now

Pawar says Fadnavis cannot but be unhappy being No.2

July 1, 2022
Politics

Governor asks Mamata to withdraw ‘Jihad against BJP’ call

July 1, 2022
Politics

Hoardings highlight TRS-BJP war ahead of Modi Hyderabad visit

July 1, 2022
IPA Special

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren Is Under Siege By BJP Leadership

June 30, 2022
IPA Special

Testing Time For Uddhav Thackeray As The Battle For Shiv Sena Control Begins

June 30, 2022
IPA Special

Pakistan Struggling Hard To Secure Emergency Financial Aid From IMF

June 30, 2022
IPA Special

Punish Culprits For Gruesome Killing Of Tailor In Udaipur

June 30, 2022
IPA Special

Samajwadi Party Takes Lessons From Defeat In Bypolls In Uttar Pradesh

June 30, 2022

An appeal

The legacy of IPA, founded by Nikhil Chakravartty, the doyen of journalism in India, to keep the flag of independent media flying high, is facing the threat of extinction due to the effect of the Covid pandemic. Only an emergency funding can avert such an eventuality. We appeal to all those who believe in the freedom of expression to contribute to this noble cause.
Click here to learn more

Share

Reply

  • 0
More on IPA

BJP Juggernaut Is On The Roll; Where Is The Congress?

July 1, 2022 3:34 pm | IPA Staff

By Nitya Chakraborty The BJP juggernaut is on the roll. As the second half of the 2022 calendar year begins, the opposition parties remain toothless...

IPA Special

In Maharashtra, Fadnavis Is The Main Driver Of The New Ruling Combination

July 1, 2022 3:03 pm | IPA Staff

By Sushil Kutty After the three-pronged Maha Vikas Aghadi government, it’s the turn of the ‘Double-engine’ Shinde-Fadnavis regime to rule Maharashtra. The Opposition called the...

IPA Special

Zero Hunger By 2030 Not Possible On Business-As-Usual Path

July 1, 2022 2:59 pm | IPA Staff

By Dr. Gyan Pathak If business as usual path continues, the world cannot achieve zero hunger target (SDG2) by 2030, and South and Southeast Asia...

IPA Special

Corporate Media In India Not Taking Strong Position Against Attacks On Human Rights

July 1, 2022 2:40 pm | IPA Staff

By Arun Srivastava Indian media’s unwillingness to question the rulers, the people in power and also its reluctance to uphold the cause of the common...

IPA Special

BJP Juggernaut Is On The Roll; Where Is The Congress?

in IPA Special
Jul 1, 2022   ·  

In Maharashtra, Fadnavis Is The Main Driver Of The New Ruling Combination

in IPA Special
Jul 1, 2022   ·  

Zero Hunger By 2030 Not Possible On Business-As-Usual Path

in IPA Special
Jul 1, 2022   ·  

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Follow us on
Up Next: Put Healthcare Sector At The Core Of Budget 2022-23
©2020 -2021 India Press Agency, All Rights Reserved
Newspack by India Press Agency
Posting....
logo
  • Home
  • now
  • politics
  • business
  • markets