Shortage of IAS officers hits work in J&K

One-third of sanctioned posts lie vacant but government has not asked centre to fill them

Jammu and Kashmir is facing shortage of Indian Administrative Service officers with nearly one-third of the posts of sanctioned cadre strength lying vacant.

Official records reveal that against the sanctioned strength of 137 IAS officers 46 posts are lying vacant. While 75 positions are set aside for direct recruitment, 62 are promotion posts.

“However, only 91 posts are being occupied by IAS incumbents which includes 60 direct recruitment posts and 30 promotion posts,” sources told Deccan Herald.
“The cadre strength of J&K was reviewed in 2009 and increased from 112 to 137.

However, the government never approached the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions which deals with the subject since 2009 to increase strength of J&K cadre IAS officers,” they added. With several IAS officers preferring deputation to central government departments, the situation in the state is becoming worse.

“The shortage of officers has severely hit the working in different departments as incompetent officials have been given charge of important postings,” said a senior officer of general administration department.

He said the government never approached the Centre over the issue.
Several other states in the country are also facing similar situation. Uttar Pradesh, which has 216 vacancies, heads the list in the country and it is followed by Madhya Pradesh, where 118 posts are vacant.

Among other states Bihar has 128 vacant posts, Rajasthan 100, Andhra Pradesh 92, Karnataka 80, Odisha 78, Manipur-Tripura 70, Tamil Nadu 69, Punjab 60, Kerala 56, Maharashtra 55, Chhattisgarh 54 and Gujarat 52.

“However, unlike J&K, several of these states have written to the Centre for increasing the quota for IAS officers in view of their increased administrative, social and other obligations towards the people,” official sources said.

“These proposals were being considered according to provisions of the Rule 4(2) of the IAS (Cadre) Rules, 1954, which mandates the Union government to re-examine the strength and composition of IAS cadres in consultation with the state government at the interval of every five years,” they added.