Didi fires another letter to PM over IAS rule change
Kolkata, Jan. 20: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote yet another letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to withdraw the proposal to amend IAS (Cadre) Rules, 1954, as it would “create a fear psychosis among officers and impact their performance”. In the letter to the PM on the issue, her second in a week, Ms Banerjee said the amendment will “destroy” the federal polity and basic structure of the Constitution.
The BJP hit back, stating that it was the “trend” to oppose every Centre’s decision which is against the country's federal structure.
Ms Banerjee, in her twopage missive, warned the PM of “greater movements” in case the Centre does not reconsider its decision.
“I humbly urge you to kindly reconsider this move by the central government and not to go ahead with the proposed amendments and request you not to push us to the points of greater movements on this issue to protect the soul of this great democracy that India is and has been (sic),” the CM wrote.
She also said that the proposed changes, if implemented, will “irreparably damage the spirit of mutual accommodation between the Centre and the state”.
The Union government has proposed an amendment to IAS (Cadre) rules, which would enable it to post IAS officers on central deputation, bypassing reservations of state governments.
On January 13, too, the CM had written to Mr Modi, requesting him not to go ahead with the amendment.
The CM pointed out that the proposal’s “very grain is against the foundations of our great federal polity and the basic structure of India’s Constitutional scheme”.