For the first time ever since the AAP came to power in Delhi, both lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who have been at loggerheads over a host of serious issues concerning the national Capital, have joined hands to get the revision of the pay-scale and time-bound postings of DANICS officers implemented on a war footing. Both lieutenant Governor and Chief Secretary of Delhi have approached the Union Home Secretary pressing the demands of DANICS pay scale and time bound promotion during their service. A delegation of association of DANICS also met Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi on Friday evening and urged him to consider their demand.
DANICS stands for Delhi Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Services.
In a letter to Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, Jung has urged that the DANICS officers should be granted time bound scales after 13 years of service and there should be introduction of grade pay of Rs10,000 on completion of their 21 years of service. “More importantly, I urge you to address the key issue of speedier induction into IAS, so as to be reduce it to at least half — 14 to 15 years from the existing 27-28 years in the first instance for officers recruited by the UPSC,” the letter said.
While the Delhi Cabinet had already given green signal for pay revision and promotions to DANICS officers, the Union Home Ministry through the lieutenant Governor had turned down the order on the ground that the same could be done only through the cadre controlling authority of the officers. The lieutenant Governor had even written to all the officers directing them not to follow any order of the AAP Government which was in violation of the business rules. He had warned the officers that strict action would be taken against those violating his orders.
The lieutenant Governor’s letter to officers had evoked a strong reaction from the Chief Minister who had even complained about the same to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The AAP Government had to finally bow to the Centre and subsequently put on hold the pay revision and promotion issue of the DANICS officers.
But a meeting between a delegation of DANICS officers with the lieutenant Governor has reportedly seen a dramatic change in the approach of the Raj Niwas towards the whole issue. The delegation had apprised the lieutenant Governor about the acute stagnation and inordinate delays in the promotion of the DANICS officers. The delegation said that the State Civil Service and DANICS officers become eligible for induction into IAS by way of promotions, normally after eight years of service. The delegation apprised the lieutenant Governor that against the prescribed eligibility of eight years, the DANICS officers were now being inducted into the IAS after 27 to 28 years. As a result, some of the officers even cross the maximum eligibility age of 56 years and are debarred from induction to the IAS. Some others stagnate at the pay band-IV of Rs 37,400 - Rs 67,000 with Grade Pay of Rs 8,700 (equivalent to Director level in the Union Government) for 15 to 18 years till they retire.
To strengthen his point, the lieutenant Governor said : “I understand that the situation in some States is considerably better. State Civil Service officers are promoted into the IAS within a span of 10 to 15 years in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telengana, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttranchal. Some other States, like Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have introduced the higher pay scale for their State Civil Service Officers to redress the problems of stagnation and delay in promotion into IAS. However, the situation has not improved in the last two decades for DANICS officers and the time for promotion to IAS has, in fact, increased from 20 to 27-28 years now.”
Jung said that over the past two years, he had closely watched the performance of many DANICS officers and he could vouch for the professional capabilities of these officers to take on higher responsibilities.
On the other hand, Chief Secretary KK Sharma has also written to Union Home Secretary requesting the Ministry to consider the demands of DANICS and conveying the State Government’s Cabinet decision to this effect.