The Karnataka bureaucracy is dogged by a quiet tussle between IAS and Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS) officers, with the latter alleging that limited promotion opportunities are preventing them from getting entry into the elite IAS cadre. On the other hand, many IAS officers are assigned responsibilities of several departments.
The resentment among the KAS officers stems from the state govt’s failure to revise the IAS cadre strength for 12 years. It has resulted in a sharp reduction in promotion opportunities for KAS officers with hundreds of them missing out on opportunities to get entry into the IAS.
Karnataka’s total authorised IAS cadre strength stands at 314, comprising 219 direct recruitment posts and 95 promotion quota posts. The state has not revised its authorised cadre strength since 2015. KAS officers say during the period cited, Andhra Pradesh promoted 28 officers, Maharashtra 85 and Telangana 45. Karnataka, however, recorded no such promotions for more than 12 years.
Their plight has further been aggravated owing to an increase in directly recruited IAS officers.
Many such officials feel that the state govt could assign various posts to officers promoted from the KAS. Instead, they say, it continues to appoint IAS officers to more than 40 posts that KAS officers could also fill.
It has led to many KAS officials getting frustrated over their inability to secure higher positions despite meeting the eligibility criteria.
There is a section of KAS officials who allege that an IAS lobby has been at work blocking their entry into the IAS cadre, while some others have reportedly approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), alleging negligence over the delay in cadre revision and promotions. The tribunal is believed to have directed the state government to submit its response within six weeks.
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