Where junior engineers can also become IAS officers

AGARTALA, June 17 ? Ironical it may sound but Tripura has achieved the dubious distinction of being the only State in the country where junior engineers and non-civil service officers are being promoted to the IAS cadre and posted in senior positions, that too violating the prescribed rules and norms.

The first experience of its kind was in 1998 when a Superintending Engineer Aravinda Guha was promoted to the IAS cadre. This was followed by promotion of a non TCS officer L Darlong in 2000, then in 2001 promotion of an executive engineer Hiralal Chakrabarty. Now in this year 2002 again an initiative is afoot to promote one more non-TCS officer to the IAS cadre out of total vacancy of four. As the government decision was known, resentment ran high among the TCS officers who under the banner of TCS Officers? Association held a meeting today.

According to the TCS officers, the state government has been violating the IAS promotion rules (from feeder posts) of 1954 time and again as the rules for promotion to the IAS cadre have clearly stated that 15 per cent of total vacancy of any particular year can be filled up by officers from other than civil service who have put in continuous eight years service in the post of equivalent to DC and who have outstanding ability and merit with substantial contribution to the affairs of the state. The rules also pointed out that such promotion could be made only if ?special circumstances? arise.

It may be mentioned here that according to rules any TCS Grade II officer with eight years of service is eligible for promotion to IAS cadre. In 1998, there was only one vacancy and so there was no question of a non-TCS officer Aravinda Guha getting the promotion. The TCS officers filled a case with the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) against the decision.

The tribunal ruled in favour of the TCS officers and found the promotion was illegal. Armed with the CAT ruling, the TCS officers then met Chief Minister Manik Sarkar who was reported to have requested the Association not to make much ado about it or go for contempt since Guha had already been promoted and posted as Director Settlement. The Chief Minister then assured that he would look into the matter and there would be no repetation of it in future. But again in 2000 there was five vacancies and one went to a non-TCS officer, L Darlong.

The four senior Tripura Civil Service officers who got the IAS were Bhagirath Reang, Manik Reang, Madhab Datta, Subinay Choudhury and Rajib Dey Choudhury. Since there cannot be 15 per cent of five vacancies and no ?special circumstances? arose, the TCS officers at that time also resented the government decision but did not pull the matter too long. Again in 2001, that is last year, government again promoted one executive engineer Hiralal Chakrabarty to IAS cadre. This time also there was no 15 per cent against a single vacancy. Moreover, to have the executive engineer promoted to the IAS cadre and get in posted as Director, government jeopardised the seniority of the officers as Ajit Bhaumik, the senior most TCS officer, was deprived of the promotion.

The Association at that time also ?discussed? the ?arbitrary? and ?illegal? decision of the government but at the instance of some officers known to be close to the Left Front, the matter was swept under the carpet.