CHANDIGARH DOESN’T APPEAL

Chandigarh doesn’t appear to be an attractive destination for babus. Recently two IAS officers of the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and union territory) cadre, who have orders to join the UT administration have reportedly written to the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking to avoid the posting.

The officials in question are 2004-batch officer Bansi Lal Sharma and 2009-batch officer Tanvi Garg.

The latter has served in the city earlier. While Mr Sharma is on the Delhi Subordinate Service Selection Board, Ms Garg is secretary of sport in the education department of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. It’s not known why the two are reluctant to accept their transfer orders.

But, sources say, the ministry is unlikely to acquiesce to their requests, and the babus may have no choice but to toe the line. The Chandigarh administration is facing a deficit of senior IAS and IPS officers, leading to some officers handling multiple departments.

At present, the posts of finance secretary, special secretary finance, senior superintendent of police (law and order), which are to be filled from the Punjab-cadre IAS and IPS (Indian Police Service) officers, are vacant for the past many months. The post of SSP (traffic and security), is also to be filled from Haryana.

The charges of all these offices are with other officers, as additional duty.