Will the allocation of All India Service (AIS) officers and State-cadre employees between Telangana and residuary Andhra Pradesh be completed before the Appointed Day, i.e., June 2?
Though the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) divided the cadre-strength of AIS officers, it is yet to finalise guidelines for their allocation. The Pratyush Sinha Committee met in New Delhi Thursday and recommended cadre strength for the two successor States and also discussed guidelines for their allocation. Chief Secretary PK Mohanty attended the meeting.
The guidelines should be accepted by the Prime Minister. “The question is whether Manmohan Singh will take a final call on the employees’ allocation or will he let his successor deal with it?” questioned one official, adding that with the election code in force, it is unlikely that Manmohan Singh will take a decision. In other words, the guidelines may get the PM’s nod only after May 16 when the election results will be out. “If political uncertainty continues even after June 2 and no party fails to form the next government in Delhi, what is the fate of the allocation of employees, both AIS and the State-cadre?” wondered a senior official. The AIS officers, meanwhile, are likely to get only “limited options” within the roster contrary to their demand for freedom to choose AP or Telangana State.