Taking serious note of the shortage of senior-level Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officials after The Pioneer reported the same on October 30, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has transferred a dozen IAS officers to Delhi. Delhi Chief Secretary DM Spolia had earlier written to the MHA and urged to retain half a dozen officials, who had been transferred by the Ministry last month.
The Pioneer had carried a report that political uncertainty in Delhi is not only taking a toll on infrastructural development for the past one year, but is also hampering day-to-day functioning of the administration as many senior duty posts were lying vacant. As a result, most of the IAS officers serving in Delhi have been burdened with many additional charges and that was reflecting in the performance of the respective departments.
As per the MHA order, 1985-batch IAS officer and former New Delhi Municipal Council chairman Parimal Rai, 1986-batch officer SN Sahai and 1984-batch officer Rina Ray have figured in the list of those transferred from Goa to Delhi. Rai’s name had figured in the controversy in up gradation of Shivaji stadium during Commonwealth Games 2010.
According to sources, Rai was lobbying to get a central deputation. He was not keen to join the Delhi Government due to political uncertainty. Rai had earlier worked with Principal Secretary to the then Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Uma Bharti.
Sahai, has also reported to the MHA after completing his tenure with Delhi Integrated Multi Model Transit System (DIMTS) and has been transferred back to Delhi. He was awaiting his posting for the past two months. Sahai is known as a strong votary of the controversial Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor in the national Capital during the Sheila Dikshit Government. He was the official who had prepared a detailed report on seven new BRT corridors across the city.
Ray has also been transferred from Andaman and Nicobar Islands to Delhi. All these three officials were considered close to Congress regime. A 1996-batch officer Geetanjali Gupta Kundra has also transferred to Delhi after the Central deputation. Bhushan Kumar Chandra, a 1995-batch officer also transferred from Arunachal Pradesh to Delhi. Gl Meena, 2002-batch IAS officer has been transferred from Andaman to Delhi.
Rakesh Bali, a 2001-batch officer has been transferred from Andaman to Delhi. Sanjay Kumar Saxena, 2001-batch officer and SS Ghankrota, a 2002-batch officer have been transferred from Arunachal Pradesh to Delhi GS Meena, a 2002-batch officer has been shifted from Dadar and Nagar Haveli to Delhi.
2002-batch officers Manoj Kumar, Akash Mahapatra and Ashutosh Kumar have been transferred from Mizoram to Delhi. Meanwhile, labour Commissioner Jitendra Narain has been shifted to Puducherry.
There are a total of 103 posts for IAS officers in the Delhi Government with 56 of them being senior duty posts (for those with 12 or more years of service).
The Pioneer had carried a report that many senior duty posts are lying vacant. The Chief Secretary has urged not to transfer Principal Secretary (Health) SCl Das, Principal Secretary (PWD) Arun Baroka, Municipal Commissioner Manish Gupta and Principal Secretary (Food & Supplies) SS Yadav till the Assembly elections in Delhi are over.
The shortage of officials could be gauged as charges of 12 crucial departments that include Finance, Home, General Administration, Tourism, Planning, IT, Power, Social Welfare, Revenue, Higher Education, New Delhi Municipal Council and Chief Electoral Office have been without their heads and some of officials are holding dual charges to take care of day-to-day functioning.