Now, Hry moots proposal to fill 3 IAS posts through nomination

The state govt to recommend names of candidates to UPSC after its last year’s list hit legal hurdle

IN 2017, THE GOVT HAD SHORTLISTED EDUCATION MINISTER RAM BILAS SHARMA’S DAUGHTER DR ASHA SHARMA AND VIDHAN SABHA DEPUTY SPEAKER SANTOSH YADAV’S BROTHER LAJPAT RAI TO FILL AN IAS POST FROM AMONG NONSTATE CIVIL SERVICE OFFICERS; MATTER PENDING IN CAT

CHANDIGARH: Haryana government is planning to promote three non-state civil service (nonSCS) officers to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) after its move in 2017 to place the kin of a BJP leader through this route hit legal and administrative hurdles, according to official documents.

With its five-year term ending on October 2019, the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government has only one year to push the matter.

Moreover, the administrative path to promote non-SCS to IAS has to be completed by December 31 otherwise the vacancies earmarked will lapse.

And the entire exercise, from determining vacancy to shortlisting candidates followed by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducting interview, has to start afresh.

In 2017, the government had shortlisted Dr Asha Sharma, daughter of education minister Ram Bilas Sharma, and Lajpat Rai, brother of Santosh Yadav, deputy speaker Vidhan Sabha, to fill one IAS seat from among the non-SCS officers.

This case is pending for final decision before the Central Administrative Tribunal even as the vacancy has lapsed.

Hence, the government has started the exercise again.

“The CM has desired that we may fill up three vacancies from non-SCS and the remaining from SCS,” Rajesh Khullar, principal secretary to CM wrote on the file on February 1 that chief secretary DS Dhesi also signed on February 12.

Citing the IAS (Appointment by Selection) Regulations,1997, as per the file noting, the UPSC informed the government on December 21, 2017, that a meeting of the selection committee for a particular year is “required to be held before 31st of December of that year” which was not held “due to certain circumstances” and that “it is not practicable to hold the meeting of the selection committee during the year 2017” for selection of non-SCS officers to the IAS of Haryana cadre.

As per IAS recruitment rules, the Central government on the recommendation of the state government and in consultation with the UPSC may recruit to the IAS “any person of outstanding ability and merit” who holds a gazetted post in the state government.

Haryana’s total authorised IAS cadre strength is 205, out of which 62 posts are to filled by promotion. Nine posts out of 62 can be filled by selection from nonSCS officers.

At present, there are four serving IAS officers—SP Srow, SS Phulia, Rippudaman Singh Dhillon and Ashok Kumar Sharma— who were promoted from the non-SCS between 2007 and 2014.

While mooting the three-page proposal—“Determining of vacancies for recruitment by promotion/selection to the IAS from SCS/non-SCS”—and seeking nod from the chief minister and the chief secretary, the personnel department stated: “…There are six vacancies of the year 2017 to be filled by promotion/selection… excluding the one vacancy that is under litigation.”

The file noting further reads: “In view of the above…the matter is submitted for kind orders of CS/CM for taking a decision as to whether all the six vacancies are to be filled up by promotion from SCS or any vacancy is to be filled from non-SCS out of the available six vacancies.”

Meanwhile, a top state government functionary, on the condition of anonymity, said that on Friday the issue of filling three IAS seats from non-SCS was discussed again.

“The state civil service (SCS) officers are mounting pressure that at least four vacancies out of the total six should be filled from among the SCS officers. There is also a strong possibility of the chief minister now directing to fill two IAS seats, instead of three, from among the non-SCS officers,” the officer said.