HYDERABAD: Joining six other Chief Ministers against the Narendra Modi government, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday strongly opposed the Centre’s proposal to amend the All India Service (Cadre) Rules, 1954.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Rao said: “The proposed amendments militate against the federal structure of our Constitution, both in letter and spirit. Further, they will also seriously erode the All India Service (AIS) character of IAS, IPS and IFS. The Telangana government, therefore, strongly opposes the proposed amendments.”
“The present provisions are adequate to ensure harmonious and balanced deployment of officers. Therefore, I demand the Central government to cease and desist from the proposed amendments in the interest of administrative fairness and federal polity of our Constitution,” he said in his letter.
“Considering the criticality of functions discharged by AIS officers in the States, the present rule position and practice provide for concurrence of State governments in matter of deputation of officers to the Central government. The proposed amendment seeks to unilaterally disturb the above position,” the Chief Minister said.
Proposals to amend AIS Rules dangerous: KCR
“This is a dangerous move which is against the Constitutional framework and spirit of cooperative federalism. If the proposed amendments are effected by the Centre, the State governments would be reduced to be insignificant entities,” Rao said in his letter to Modi.
His counters from West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand are the Chief Ministers to opposed the amendments.
“The proposal is clearly a move to exercise indirect control by the Central government on officers working in States. It amounts to interfering in the functioning of the State governments, targeted harassment of officers and their demoralisation, besides impacting accountability of officers to the State governments. It would also render State governments as helpless entities in matters of AIS officers,” Rao said.
“I do agree that the Parliament has enacted All India Services Act, 1951 under the Provisions of Article 312 of the Constitution and the Central government has made various rules under the said Act. However, I strongly object to the coloured exercise of powers vested with the Central government to amend IAS/IPS/IFS Cadre Rules, 1954 to the detriment of the interest of the State and watering down the federal polity of the country.
The proposed amendment to the All India Services Cadre Rules is nothing but amending the Constitution of India relating to the Centre-State relations. Instead of such backdoor method of amending the AIS Rules, the Centre should muster courage to amend the provisions by the Parliament,” he said. Recalling that the makers of the Constitution had foresight to ensure that States’ views are taken if any Constitutional amendment is proposed, he said that the proposed amendment is violating the spirit of the Constitution, which is highly objectionable.
“The proposal shows scant regard to the administrative exigencies and requirements of the States. It will threaten the spirit of mutual adjustment and accommodation between States and Centre in the matter of shared All India Services and will further strain the Centre-State relationship,” Rao added.