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Do RERAs serve as rehab centre for retired bureaucrats?

By
LO Bureau
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Real Estate Regulatory Authorities (RERAs), set up to regulate the real estate sector and ensure speedy disposal of disputes, have come to earn a different name from the Supreme Court. A bench of justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan recently made the scathing observation that RERAs have become a “rehabilitation centre for retired bureaucrats”. The apex court’s observation is based on the deep analysis of the facts related to manning RERAs.

The prime reason is most of the RERA heads are retired bureaucrats, predominated by the officers from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). As per the information available on the RERA websites, there are 32 states and Union Territories (UTs) which have set up RERAs, out of which at least 25 are being headed by former bureaucrats. And among them, 22 are retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers.

There are four states and UTs (Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim and Ladakh) which are yet to set up a RERA.  

The RERA, set up by an Act of the Parliament in 2016, has seen nearly half a dozen former chief secretaries of states and UTs being given the post of chairperson in RERAs in several states particularly, Maharashtra which have the highest number of real estate projects registered in the country, since the Act’s inception in 2017.

Even recently, former Maharashtra Chief Secretary Manoj Saunik (Retd.IAS:1987:MH) took over as its RERA chairman from another former chief secretary Ajoy Mehta (Retd:1984:MH) in September. This is just for an example. Appointing former bureaucrats as chairpersons and members of RERAs has been a trend with the state governments since its inception in 2017.

Railways offers three sub-cadres to IRMS recruits to choose from

By
LO Bureau
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Restructuring a Rail Bhawan

Railways has provided big relief to officers recruited under the earlier unified Indian Railways Management Service (IRMS) by offering them three sub-cadres to choose from. The recruits have been facing uncertainty after the government rolled back the new system of recruitment under IRMS and restored the old system of recruitments through two separate examinations.

After the recruitment under the new system was started in 2022, over a hundred recruits have been selected through the unified test. The railways has now offered them three sub-cadres to choose one. These are IRMS (Accounts), IRMS (Personnel) and IRMS (Traffic). The move was necessary as those selected under IRMS don’t get a chance to choose their sub cadre now; they might have to face
the problem during promotion in future.

After the government’s rollback, railway officers are now to be recruited under two different categories – one under the Civil Services Examination (CSE) for non- technical posts and the other under the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) for technical posts. This was the practice before 2019 when the Cabinet decided to club eight railway services into one and created IRMS. The IRMS has now been included into the Engineering Services Examination.

As per sources, in the first year of recruitment under IRMS in 2022, only 58 candidates out of a total of 150 selected candidates joined railways and are now undergoing training. Similarly, another 150 candidates were selected each in 2023 and 2024 whose joining process is still on.

Also Read: Centre rolls back 2019 merger policy for recruitment of railway officers

Also Read: After demerger, Railway notifies 8 services as sub cadre

Haryana: Rajesh Khullar finally appointed CPC to CM without cabinet status

By
LO Bureau
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After several twists and turns, Rajesh Khullar (Retd IAS:1988:HY) was finally appointed as the Chief Principal Secretary to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini. The order confirming his appointment was issued late Monday night by Chief Secretary TVSN Prasad (IAS:1988:HY). However, the latest order differs in two key aspects from the previous one issued on October 18.

First, unlike the earlier order, Khullar’s new appointment does not include the rank and status of a cabinet minister. Second, while the previous order made Khullar’s tenure co-terminus with the Chief Minister’s term, the revised order states that his tenure will now be co-terminus with the Chief Minister’s term or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

The order also noted that the “rest of the terms and conditions of his appointment will be issued separately.”

As we reported earlier, senior BJP leaders of Haryana were reportedly opposed to granting Khullar cabinet status, and they raised the issue with the party’s central leadership. On October 18, the same day the initial order was issued, CM Nayab Singh Saini was in Delhi to meet with the party’s top brass, and sources suggest that the matter was discussed, resulting in the initial appointment being put on hold. Additionally, the initial decision to tie Khullar’s term to that of the CM was also reconsidered.

Also Read: Inside story of Haryana’s dramatic U-turn on Khullar’s appointment as CM’s CPS

Also Read: Haryana: Retd. IAS officer Rajesh Khullar appointed Chief Principal Secretary to CM

Tapas Kumar Pattanayak selected as Director (HR), National Aluminium Company Limited

By
LO Bureau
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Tapas Kumar Pattanayak has been selected for appointment as Director (Human Resources), National Aluminium Company Limited at a Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) meeting held on October 21, 2024. Presently, he is serving as Executive Director (HR), Refineries Headquarters, New Delhi, Indian Oil Corporation Limited.

He will be appointed to the post of Director (Human Resources) after receiving vigilance clearances and approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

The following 12 applicants were interviewed in the selection meeting:

  1. Amarendra Kumar Mishra, Group General Manager(CPP), National Aluminium Company Limited
  2. Ashutosh Gupta, Director (Human Resources), National Textile Corporation Limited
  3. Akhilesh Aggarwal, Senior General Manager (HR/ADM), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited
  4. Tapas Kumar Pattanayak, Executive Director (HR), Refineries Headquarters, New Delhi, Indian Oil Corporation Limited
  5. Manas Kaviraj, Senior Executive Director, NBCC (India) Limited
  6. Manas Ranjan Rath, Chief General Manager (Personnel) SAIL Corporate Office, Delhi, Steel Authority Of India Limited (SAIL)
  7. Jitendra Kumar, Chief General Manager(Town Services), IISCO Steel Plant, Steel Authority Of India Limited (SAIL)
  8. Prabir Kumar Biswas, General Manager GM(HR) NGEL, NTPC Limited
  9. Tekkam Sridhar, Chief Program Manager, REC Limited
  10. Vijaya Lakshmi Muralidharan, Additional General Manager(HR), NTPC Limited
  11. Srinivasu Parisi, Chairman, Railway Recruitment Board, Bengaluru, Ministry of Railways.
  12. Rajendra Kumar Agrawal, Chief Personnel Officer, Indian Railways Personnel Service

Two Haryana civil servants refuse to join Chandigarh administration

By
LO Bureau
-
Chandigarh Administration

The controversy over AGMUT cadre IAS officers getting key departments in UT during deputation seems to be turning into a major crisis as two Haryana Civil Service (HCS) officers, Anubhav Mehta and Rakesh Sandhu have refused to join the Chandigarh administration. They had been selected out of the six names sent by the Haryana government after interviews for deputation in Chandigarh just a few days back.

It has jolted the Chandigarh administration which is already grappling with the problem of scarcity of officers. The UT administration is said to be planning to raise the issue in the Northern Zonal Council’s (NZC) standing committee meeting, scheduled to be held in Chandigarh on Oct 25.

Interestingly, Punjab and Haryana also seem to have decided to raise the issue of the step-brotherly treatment meted out to their officers during deputation by the Chandigarh administration at the Northern Zonal Council’s standing committee meeting. These states allege that the AGMUT cadre officers are nudging out Punjab and Haryana Civil Services officers in getting key departments during deputation.

The entire issue has created a perplexing situation. Now, the issue of getting officers from Haryana has to be raised with the Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator in order to sort it out immediately.

Haryana: Ministers get portfolios, bureaucratic overhaul likely to follow

By
LO Bureau
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Haryana Map

With the much-awaited allocation of portfolios among the newly-inducted ministers having already taken place on Sunday evening, the next critical task before the Haryana government is to implement changes in the state bureaucracy so that the expectations of both the public and the government could be met.

For that, the BJP government wants honest and competent officers to head crucial departments. The most significant appointment to be made is that of the Chief Secretary as the current incumbent, TVSN Prasad, is set to retire on October 31.

A 1989 batch IAS officer, Vivek Joshi, is said to be the frontrunner as per the seniority principle. He is currently on central deputation. Next in line of the race are 1990 batch officers, Sudhir Rajpal, Sumit Mishra, Ankur Gupta, Anutag Rastogi, And Mohan Sharan and Raha Shekhar Vundru.

In addition to the Chief Secretary, the post of Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management is also to be filled. This position has been lying vacant due to a raging controversy over seniority among the 1990 batch officers.

As the current Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister (PSCM), V Umashankar is going on central deputation, new CM nayab Singh Saini will have to
appoint a new Principal Secretary soon. The reshuffle may also bring in new Additional Principal Secretaries to the CM (APSCMs), a Deputy Principal Secretary (DPSCM), and additional Officers on Special Duty (OSDs), who are expected to be chosen from the existing cadre of bureaucrats.

Although the state government is preparing for a major overhaul in its bureaucratic setup, with multiple lists of transfers expected soon, the first list is likely to include officers who work closely with the Chief Minister.

Bihar: 22 IAS officers shifted; B Kartikeya Dhanji is new Secretary, Road Construction Department

By
LO Bureau
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Bihar IAS using charter plane

The Bihar government on Sunday (20.10.2024) implemented a major reshuffle in the state’s bureaucratic setup, reassigning 22 IAS officers to new roles. Several officers have been transferred to different posts, while a few others have been given additional responsibilities.

The names of the officers and their postings are as follows;

  1. B Kartikeya Dhanji (IAS:2008:BH), State Project Director of Bihar Education Project Council with additional charge of MD, Bihar State Educational Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited and Enquiry Commissioner, General Administration Department, has been transferred and posted as Secretary of Road Construction Department with additional charge of Enquiry Commissioner, General Administration Department.
  2. Rachna Patil (IAS:2010:BH), Special Secretary, General Administration Department, has been given additional charge of Director, Museum, Art, Culture & Youth Affairs.
  3. Manindra Kumar (IAS:2010:BH), Secretary, Bihar State Disaster Management Authority, has been transferred and posted as CEO-cum-MD, Bihar State Education Finance Corporation Limited.
  4. Rahul Kumar (IAS:2011:BH), Director, Museum, Art, Culture & Youth Affairs with additional charge of OSD, Disaster Management Department, has been transferred and posted as Special Secretary, Finance with additional charge of OSD, Disaster Management Department.
  5. Yogendra Singh (IAS:2013:BH), Director, Secondary Education with additional charge of Director, Mid-Day Meal, has been given additional charge of the posts of State Project Director, Bihar Education Project Council with additional charge of MD, Bihar State Educational Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited.
  6. Ranjita (IAS:2013:BH), Labour Commissioner, Labour Resources Department, has been transferred and posted as Director, Social Welfare, Social Welfare Department with additional charge of Director, Social Security, Social Welfare Department.
  7. Anand Sharma (IAS:2013:BH), Director, Panchayat Raj, has been given additional charge of Chief General Manager, Bihar Development Mission, Cabinet Secretariat Department.
  8. Geeta Singh (IAS:2013:BH), Additional Secretary, Food and Consumer Protection Department, has been transferred and posted as Additional Secretary, Animal & Fisheries Resources Department.
  9. Naveen Kumar Singh (IAS:2013:BH), Deputy Mission Director, Bihar Development Mission, Cabinet Secretariat Department, has been transferred and posted as Additional Secretary, Social Welfare Department.
  10. Ibrar Alam (IAS:2013:BH), Additional Secretary, Science, Technology & Technical Education, has been transferred and posted as Additional Secretary, Minority Welfare Department.
  11. Abhilash Kumari Sharma (IAS:2014:BH), Additional CEO, Livelihood, Rural Development Mission, has been
    given additional charge of Commissioner, MGNREGA, Rural Development Department.
  12. Kalpana Kumari (IAS:2014:BH), Monitoring Officer, Panchayat Raj Department, has been transferred and posted as Additional Secretary, Agriculture Department.
  13. Dr. Nand Lal Arya (IAS:2014:BH), Additional Secretary to Santosh Kumar Suman, Minister for SC & ST Welfare Department, has been transferred and posted as Settlement Officer, Nalanda.
  14. Rajnish Kumar Singh (IAS:2014:BH), Additional Secretary-cum-Director, Administration, Home (Prison) Department, has been transferred and posted as Registration Inspector General-cum-Excise Commissioner, Prohibition, Excise & Registration Department with additional charge of Additional Director (Programme Monitoring), Bihar Development Mission.
  15. Rajesh Kumar Singh (IAS:2014:BH), Additional Collector-cum-Additional District Magistrate, has been transferred and posted as Additional Secretary, BPSC.
  16. Rakesh Ranjan (IAS:2014:BH), OSD (Human Resources/Administration), North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited, has been transferred and posted as General Manager, Bihar State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (BELTRON).
  17. Rajesh Kumar (IAS:2014:BH), Additional Secretary to Krishnanandan Paswan, Minister of Sugar Cane Industries, has been transferred and posted as Settlement Officer, Purnia.
  18. Mohd. Ahmad Mahmood (IAS:2014:BH), Additional Secretary, Minorities Welfare Department, has been transferred and posted as Additional Secretary, Science, Technology & Technical Education.
  19. Vinayak Mishra (IAS:2014:BH), Administrative Officer, General Administration Department, has been transferred and posted as Director, Mid-Day Meal.
  20. Mohd. Waris Khan (IAS:2014:BH), Additional Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Regional Transport Authority, Bhagalpur Division, Bhagalpur, has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Bihar State Disaster Management Authority.
  21. Rajesh Bharti (IAS:2014:BH), OSD, Bihar Development Mission, Mission Director Office, Cabinet Secretariat Department, has been transferred and posted as Labour Commissioner, Labour Resources Department with additional charge of OSD, Bihar Development Mission.
  22. Sanjay Kumar (IAS:2017:BH), Commissioner, MNREGA, Rural Development Department, has been transferred and posted as Joint Secretary, Rural Development Department.

Inside story of Haryana’s dramatic U-turn on Khullar’s appointment as CM’s CPS

By
LO Bureau
-

The quirk of fate is hard to gauge if politics comes into play. Retired Haryana IAS officer Rajesh Khullar came to realize this harsh reality within four hours on fateful Friday. At 8 O’ clock in the evening he was appointed as the Chief Principal Secretary to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, with the rank and status of a Cabinet Minister, but at 12 in midnight Khullar was again nothing more than a retired senior bureaucrat. It is the story of Khullar’s midnight tryst with destiny.

Thanks to the behind-the-scene manoeuvres that spoilt Khullar’s chance to enjoy the status of a Cabinet Minister without being a political heavyweight. This is not all, breaking the tradition of administrative propriety Khullar was bestowed a tenure co-terminus with the Chief Minister’s term. It meant intertwining Khullar’s fate with that of CM Saini.

This public display of unprecedented patronage to a retired bureaucrat provided enough provocation for anti-Khullar lobbyists to flex their muscles. Politicians lapped it up and put the final nail in the coffin. The result: his game was over by the midnight.

Khullar’s meteoric rise to the Cabinet rank was announced on Friday but just a few hours later, state Chief Secretary T V S N Prasad issued another letter saying that the orders regarding the appointment of the Chief Principal Secretary to the CM are kept “in abeyance till further orders”.

The drama came a full circle on the day Saini took charge as the new Haryana chief minister. The insiders say that government’s decision to
accord Cabinet rank to Khullar played the spoilsport as three of Saini’s senior

Cabinet colleagues upped the ante saying politicians toil throughout their career to reach this position and giving Cabinet status is an affront to them. The result was to hold back the decision. However, Khullar’s chance to become Chief Principal Secretary is still alive.

A 1988-batch IAS officer, Khullar wielded tremendous clout in Haryana’s bureaucracy due to his close proximity with former CM Manohar Lal Khattar. He worked as principal secretary to Khattar for almost five years when he was Haryana CM, before moving to the World Bank. Khullar finally retired on August 31, 2023 as an Additional Chief Secretary after 35 years in the civil services. But his closeness with Khattar saw him getting appointed as CM’s Chief Principal Secretary just a day after retirement.

Also Read: Haryana: Rajesh Khullar’s appointment as Chief Principal Secretary put on hold just hours after announcement

Also Read: Haryana: Retd. IAS officer Rajesh Khullar appointed Chief Principal Secretary to CM

J&K: Three IAS officers shifted, Dheeraj Gupta appointed ACS to CM

By
LO Bureau
-

The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Saturday (19.10.2024) issued transfer and posting orders for three senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers.

The names of the officers and their postings are as follows;

  1. Dheeraj Gupta (IAS:1993:AGMUT), Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary), Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment with additional charge of the post of Administrative Secretary, Information Technology Department, has been transferred and posted as Additional Chief Secretary to Chief Minister.
  2. Shailendra Kumar (IAS:1995:AGMUT), Principal Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, shall also hold the charge of Administrative Secretary, Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment in addition to his own duties.
  3. Santosh D Vaidya (IAS:1998:AGMUT), Principal Secretary, Finance Department, shall also hold the charge of Administrative Secretary, Information Technology Department in addition to his own duties.

Vijaykumar Iyer selected as Director (Operations), Yantra India Limited

By
LO Bureau
-
Yantra India Limited

Vijaykumar Iyer has been selected for appointment as Director (Operations), Yantra India Limited at a Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) meeting held on October 19, 2024. Presently, he is serving as General Manager (Operations- Production Planning & Export), Indian Ordnance Factories Service.

She will be appointed to the post of Director (Operations) after receiving vigilance clearances and approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

The following 10 applicants were interviewed in the selection meeting:

  1. Sunil Date, Director (Operations and HR) with addl. charge of CMD, Indian Ordnance Factories Service.
  2. Surendra Dhapodkar, Director (Finance) Joint secretary (SAG), Gliders India Limited
  3. Shishir Khare, Executive Director (Yantra India Limited, Nagpur), Indian Ordnance Factories Service
  4. Ajay Kumar Yerpude, Executive Director, Indian Ordnance Factories Service
  5. Shailesh Vagerwal, Executive Director Operations at MIL HO, Indian Ordnance Factories Service
  6. Shashank Garg, General Manager, Ordnance Factory, Katni, Indian Ordnance Factories Service
  7. Vikas Purwar, General Manager/OFIL, Munitions India Limited
  8. Lalit Kumar, General Manager/ Additional General Manager, Munitions India Limited
  9. Vijaykumar Iyer, General Manager (Operations – Production Planning & Export), Indian Ordnance Factories Service
  10. Balivada Venkata Rao, General Manager, Ordnance Factory, Ambajhari, A Unit of Yantra India Limited, Ministry of Defence, Indian Ordnance Factories Service
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