Rajasthan: An overburdened bureaucracy gasps for breath in poll year

In the election year when the Raje government is under pressure to implement announcements of the populist budget, a scenario of an ‘overburdened’ bureaucracy from top to bottom has emerged in the state. Several departments and bodies are currently headless and some IAS officers have been given additional charge to look after the business of these bodies.

Currently, nearly 28 IAS officers have the additional charge of supervising departments and bodies across the state. It is almost 15 per cent of the entire strength of IAS cadre of 208, serving with Rajasthan government. This excludes those relieved for deputation at the Center for empanelment.

This burden of additional charge is adversely affecting the efficiency of the IAS officers and they are hardly able to carry out the responsibilities that they have been entrusted with. Not only the routine works but the important matters, schemes and programmes, which were announced in the state budget, are gathering dust due to IAS officers having to much on their plate. 

“The summer vacation has further aggravated the problem as officers who had applied for leave in advance are on holidays right now. Under these circumstances a single IAS officer has been forced to handle affairs of many departments,” said an IAS officer on the condition of anonymity. He attributed this to a large number files getting stacked up on the table.

Thus to pacify any ‘resentment’ among the IAS lobby, the government has been forced to hike perks that are given to the officers for carrying out additional duties so the they cannot complain about being overburdened. 

As per the official website of DoP, 28 IAS have additional charges. It includes six ACS (additional chief secretary) level officers who are serving additionally one to three departments and bodies each on an average. 

For instance, ACS Industries Rajeev Swarup has three departments social justice and empowerment and DIPR, ACS JC Mohanty has four, ACS Agriculture Neel Kamal Darbari has charge of two departments. Many principal secretaries, secretaries, special secretaries, commissioners and directors are also overburden with charge of additional departments.

“The government on Tuesday modified its 13-year-old order of monthly fee the IAS officers get while performing additional duties,” added an officer. 

According to the circular issued by DoP, IAS officers in the rank of ACS, principal secretary, special secretary will get Rs5000, collector Rs4000 and special secretary Rs3000 for bearing additional charge in the autonomous bodies. First time, the ACS and Principal secretary have been entitled to be paid off for extra charges.

Mid career training for 3 IAS officers 

• Three IAS officers of Rajasthan cadre will be sent on mid career training in Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration at Mussoorie in June. 
• According to an order issued by the DoP, the IAS officers Rajeshwer Singh, Shubhra Singh and V Srinivas will be on mid training from June 4 to 22. 
• The current training has been scheduled by Union Ministry of Personnel for three batches—89, 90 and 91—and the names from the state government were sought accordingly. 
• As per the norms the IAS officers selected for the training will be treated on duty and eligible to draw allowances and pay.