The Centre has overturned the promotion of three IAS officers to the rank of principal secretary on the ground that they have not completed the requisite length of service.

The Bihar government had promoted the three 1992 batch officers - Chanchal Kumar, Dipak Kumar Singh and Harjot Kaur - to the rank of principal secretary and sent the proposal to the Centre for approval in June this year.

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 (DoPT), 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.

A letter sent to Bihar chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh by Rajesh Kumar Yadav, under secretary to the Government of India, on July 20 this year, says: "... the upgradation of posts of secretary to labour resource department, secretary to the chief minister and secretary to tourism department, is in violation of IAS (Cadre) Rules 1954 and IAS (Pay) Rules 2007 and is not in conformity with the principles laid down for appointment and promotion."

It further says, "Hence, the ex-post facto approval to the upgradation of above mentioned posts and postings of 1992 batch officers to these posts... cannot be acceded to. The state government is accordingly requested to revert the officers posted against these posts as they have not completed the requisite length of service..."

Efforts to contact the three officers and also the chief secretary proved futile. While the chief secretary, in response to a text message, said he was busy in a meeting, one of the three officers refused to make any comment after listening to the question from this paper.

According to DoPT guidelines, officers who have completed 25 years of service can be promoted to the rank of principal secretary to the state government. Promotion of officers thus cleared could be made at any time during the relevant year, provided vacancies in this grade are available.

In case of the three Bihar officers from the 1992 batch, the length of their service is less than 25 years. Hence, said an official in the general administration department, the DoPT has asked the state government to revert them to the rank of secretary.

The proposal for promotion from rank of secretary to that of principal secretary is first taken up by the state government. After due approval of a state-level screening committee consisting of three senior officers, including the chief secretary as chairperson, the proposal is sent to the DOPT for final approval.

A senior IAS officer, who spoke under cover of anonymity, said the rescinding of the promotion is a "big embarrassment". "This has happened for the first time in recent history. However, it has nothing to do with the Centre-state relationship. It has been rejected purely on technical grounds," he said.