Ashok Gehlot writes to PM Modi against change in deputation rule for IAS officers

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Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him not to go ahead with an amendment proposing a change in deputation rule for IAS officers.

The chief minister said the amendment to Rule 6 of the Indian Administrative Service (Cadre) Rules, 1954, will enable the Union government call an officer on deputation without the consent of the officer concerned and the state government.

He said the proposed change is going to affect the spirit of cooperative federalism.

This will violate the constitutional jurisdiction prescribed for the central and state governments, and reduce the spirit of working fearlessly and faithfully, he said.

Quoting India’s first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Gehlot said, "If you want an efficient all-India service, I advise you that you give the services an opportunity to express themselves freely. If you are a service recipient, it will be your duty to allow your secretary or chief secretary or other services under you to express their opinion without fear or favour. Without it, you will not have Akhand Bharat."

He said a good all-India service will be the one in which there is freedom to speak your mind, in which there is a sense of security that you can stick to your word and your rights and privileges are protected.

This amendment is against the basic spirit of the Constitution, Gehlot said, adding that framers of the Constitution had conceptualised the all-India services keeping in mind the public welfare and the spirit of federalism.

These will harm efforts of the states to achieve the goals set by the Constitution, he added.

Gehlot urged the prime minister to personally intervene and put an end to the attack on the Constitution of India and the autonomy of the states through the proposed amendment.