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| A Right Mix? |
WHEN a railway officer can run Air India, why can’t a defence engineer be in the office of development commissioner (handlooms)? Yes, 1988 batch Indian Defence Service of Engineers officer Jitendra Acharya was appointed as additional development commissioner (handlooms) and 2001 batch Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer Ratnesh Kumar is the new additional development commissioner (handicrafts). If a generalist can head a specialist ministry, why can’t a specialist head a generalist department? Is this the new thinking process in the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet? BoI here lists out a few appointments announced during the last one month which possibly indicate how the Centre wants to experiment with senior bureaucracy:
1. Jitendra Acharya, 1988 batch IDSE (Indian Defence Service of Engineers) officer, has been appointed as additional development commissioner (handlooms). This defence engineer will now be posted in the office of development commissioner (handlooms) that comes under the ministry of textiles. The appointment is for a period of five years or until further order. The DoPT in an office memorandum issued on June 7 had asked the ministry of defence to relieve the officer so that he can take up the new role in the ministry of textiles.
2. Late last month, 2001 batch Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer Ratnesh Kumar has been appointed as additional development commissioner (handicrafts) at the level of a director in the office of development commissioner (handicrafts) under the ministry of textiles. That appointment order was issued on May 29.
3. Kaushal Vashist, 1999 batch Indian Postal Service (IPoS) officer, has been appointed as director in the ministry of environment, forests and climate change. He will be posted in Delhi. Meanwhile, DoPT in an office memorandum dated June 2 asked the postal department to relieve Vashist immediately so that he can take up the new assignment in the environment ministry.
4. BoI had earlier reported that 1998 batch Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) officer was last month appointed as commissioner (personnel) in Delhi Development Authority.
5. Also, Jayaseelan T, a 2003 batch IDAS (Indian Defence Accounts Service) officer, has been appointed as deputy secretary in the ministry of shipping. That order was issued on May 18. However, the appointment of Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) officers in various ministries has many a precedent.
6. On the same day (May 18), 2000 batch Indian Telecom Service officer Anil Kumar was appointed as director in the department of higher education.
It is a good move. The time has come to remove the colonial legacy of stranglehold of generalists Babus on the democratic governance in India.
ReplyDeleteNothing more than AIDS i.e. Delhi posting syndrome.
ReplyDeleteAll those officers who wish to remain and retire from Delhi itself throughout service have managed to remain in Delhi.
No big deal.
This is good to bring diversity in the various ministries.In fact there are many directors,CVO's from other services.To name a few Sri Prem Narayan Deputy Director General UIDAI,IRSS-90,Joint Secretary Department of Higher Education Sri Madhu Ranjan Kumar IRSS 84.
ReplyDelete