The officers either fail to get empanelled due to comparatively conservative grading in Gujarat or they are not allowed to leave by the state government.
Empanelment has become an excruciating exercise for Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers of Gujarat cadre. The officers either fail to get empanelled due to comparatively conservative grading in Gujarat or they are not allowed to leave by the state government. Even if the government is willing, they fall prey to the ever-changing rules.
For example, secretary, department of science and technology, Raj Kumar of 1987 batch, has been empanelled for over two years now, but has not been on the offer list, according to sources in general administrative department (GAD). On the other hand, a long while after being empanelled, 1982-batch officer and health commissioner Amarjit Singh’s name has suddenly been put on offer list. It is said that the minister in charge is not happy with him.
Right now, the process of empanelment for joint secretary level is on in the national capital and the 1990-batch officers in the state are looking forward to the list, according to a GAD official.
Those most interested in the exercise are: Manoj Das posted as municipal commissioner of Vadodara, Chandra Vanu Som holding the position of director, employment, and commissioner of fisheries Arunkumar Solanki. Only time will tell if any of them gets a chance to go to Delhi. However, with two of their batch mates already at the Centre, their chances of being relieved by the state government are definitely slim.
Apart from other things, it could mean promotion of Kamal Kumar Dayani, at present director in prime minister’s office, to joint secretary-level post. Another officer of the batch, Manoj Aggrawal, is already working as private secretary to the Union minister of state for tourism Kumari, Selja, and is thus said to be indifferent to the process of empanelment.
According to government officials, the process of empanelment to the level of secretary at Centre takes place in January, that for additional secretary level in March and finally for joint secretary positions June onwards. For deputy secretary and director levels, no empanelment is needed.
Interestingly, earlier this year two senior bureaucrats of 1979 batch, Gauri Kumar and TS Randhawa, were announced by the Union personnel ministry as eligible for the post of additional secretary. Though empanelled, both of them are not on the ‘offer list’ of the Gujarat government, which essentially meant that the state needed them and thus would not allow them to go on central deputation. Kumar was said to be quite eager to move to New Delhi.
Of the other officers of the 1979 batch, K Kailashnathan is principal secretary to the chief minister and unwilling to move at present, while Rajiv Takur and Joy I Cheenath are already on deputation and shall move to additional secretary level from that of joint secretary. Similarly, Ranjit Bannerji has just returned from International Monetary Fund to be posted as chief executive officer of state’s disaster management authority and has not been empanelled.
To top it all, there are a few officers who have not been empanelled as the rules regarding the same keep changing quite often, a victim officer pointed out. “Some time they ask for two ‘very good’ and two ‘good’ in last four years appraisal, and some time for at least three ‘very good’. What’s more, once denied empanelment a review would come only after two years,” he said.
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