The promotion of three IAS officers of the 1992 batch from the rank of secretary to principal secretary and the subsequent revocation of the order by the Centre has kicked off a fresh controversy following serious objections raised by a fellow Bihar cadre bureaucrat.
C.K. Anil, a 1991 batch officer who is at present posted as officer on special duty in the staff selection commission, wrote a letter to the office of the accountant-general, Bihar, raising objections over the promotions granted to Chanchal Kumar, Dipak Kumar Singh and Harjot Kaur, all belonging to the 1992 batch.
The Bihar government had promoted the trio to the rank of principal secretary and sent the proposal to the Centre for approval in June this year.
Anil, in his letter dated August 10, 2016, stated that the three officers were promoted in violation of the IAS Pay Rules 2007, which mandates that prior permission of the central government is mandatory for clearance if posts are available.
"The Government of Bihar sent the letter to the Government of India for post facto approval for the posts available on June 25, 2016," the letter written by Anil says.
Not only this. In his missive, Anil says the officers were promoted without them completing the mandatory 25 years of service as per the provisions under Rule 3 of the IAS Pay Rules 2007.
"The state government, it seems, has usurped the powers of the central government to waive off the mandatory period of 25 years which the 1992 batch would complete on December 31, 2016," says Anil's letter.
Anil, who hogged the limelight for taking stern action against former RJD MP Mohammad Shahabuddin when he was posted as the district magistrate of Siwan, has requested the accountant-general's office to keep the pay slips of the trio in abeyance till the central government granted approval to the notification sent by the Bihar government on the vacant posts.
Following the promotion, Chanchal Kumar was posted as principal secretary to the chief minister; Dipak Kumar was elevated as principal secretary in the labour resource department and Harjot Kaur was made principal secretary, tourism. The postings were announced on June 24.
However, the Union ministry of department of personnel and training, which is the final authority in matters of promotion of IAS officers, didn't agree with the Bihar government as it was done in violation of the IAS (Cadre) Rules 1954 and IAS (Pay) Rules 2007.
The Centre has asked the state government to revert these officers to the post of secretary.
The accountant-general's office, in the meantime, has withdrawn the salary slip of the three officers in the wake of the letter sent by the department of personnel and training.
A source in the general administration department said an officer of the 1996 batch was part of the committee which recommended the promotions of the trio. "How can a junior officer recommend promotion of his seniors," another IAS officer asked under cover of anonymity.
