The Maharashtra government and the State Administrative Service (SAS) officers are on warpath over promotion of 40 State Revenue Service’s officers to the IAS cadre. Three prominent unions representing the state SAS officers have written a letter to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under the central government urging it to immediately halt the process of promotion of these officers to the IAS cadre as recommended by the state government.
The contention of the SAS officers’ unions is that the Maharashtra Revenue Service is not approved as part of the state administrative service by the Centre and hence, the recent government’s proposal to promote them to the IAS is ‘illegal’.
The incumbent BJP government in Maharashtra reportedly held a meeting on August 30 last month and cleared names of 40 officers belonging to the state revenue service for promotion to the IAS cadre. This rattled the state officers, who swung into action opposing the move.
The officers’ unions have raised joint concerns over the issue contending that the state revenue officers are not eligible for promotion to the IAS as this service is not part of the approved state administrative service. The unions have also cited a ruling from the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) that clearly says that Maharashtra Revenue Service has not been recognized as an approved civil service either by the state government or the central government.
Moreover, a legal battle over the issue is already on. Further, the unions have argued in the latter that under the IAS (Appointment by Promotion) Regulations of 1955 only those officers serving in the approved civil services are eligible for promotion to the IAS cadre. The fight goes on unabated.
