Patna, Dec. 3: Decks have been cleared for promotion of 43 Bihar Administrative Service (BAS) officers to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) rank, bringing a huge relief to the state government crippled by a shortage of bureaucrats.

The problem had deepened after the superannuation of 14 senior IAS officers this year. The current strength of IAS officers in Bihar is 208, against 326 authorised.

Nine officers of the 2014-batch joined the state and were given district assignments before the Assembly elections. These probationary officers were serving as additional district collectors.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) today found the names of 43 state service officers fit for promotion to the IAS rank. The names were finalised at a meeting of the departmental promotion committee comprising senior officials of the UPSC and those of the state government in Delhi.

Sources in the general administration department said the officers would be promoted to fill the vacancies of the state service quota in the IAS for 2011 and 2012.

While 32 officers belonged to the 2011 batch, the rest 12 were of the 2012 batch. The government had recommended the names of 129 officers for the purpose.

A senior IAS officer on condition of anonymity said the UPSC agreed in principle to promote a few officers to fill the vacancies for 2013 in view of the shortfall of IAS officers in the state.

The shortage of the IAS officers has been affecting development works and the government was finding it difficult to cope with the situation, the officer added.

Many officers were holding additional charge too. Prem Singh Meena, inspector-general (prisons), has been given additional charge of managing director of Comfed. Similarly, Laxmi Prasad Chauhan, joint secretary of water resources department, is holding the additional charge of managing director of Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation.

The Centre would notify the promotion of the state service services after completing formalities. "Since the list has been finalised, there is no hurdle in allotting these officers the IAS rank," a principal secretary-rank officer said.

The departmental promotion committee meeting was attended by chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, state revenue board member Anand Vardhan Sinha and general administration department principal secretary Amir Subhani.