AGARTALA, July 6 (TIWN): Alarmed at the government’s move to fill up three IAS vacant posts by non-Tripura Civil Service officers, Tripura TCS Officers’ Association has decided to meet Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and Chief Secretary SK Panda on Monday or Tuesday to stall the process. The government has initiated a process to promote three officers- Dr. Manash Deb, Rajesh Bhattacharjee and Mahananda Debbarma for the potential contenders for IAS nomination.

While Dr. Deb had been on the headline for wrong reasons, Mr. Bhattacharjee (Dy. Director, Higher Education) and Mr. Debbarma (AGM of TSECL) are not state civic service officers. Concerned over the government initiative, TCS Officers’ Association’s executive body held an emergent meeting on July 4 to prepare its strategy on the illegal move. Sources said, the Association would meet Chief Minister and Chief Secretary to make them aware about the grievance of the civil service officers on the issue.

As per the norms, the state government would only propose names of state civil service officers for IAS nomination. And if there is shortage of eligible state civil service officers, the government could consider officers from non-TCS cadre officers. In the state administration, there are many eligible TCS officers whose names could easily be forwarded before the UPSC for IAS nomination. Instead of giving eligible TCS officers the opportunity, the government pushing names of non TCS cadre officers.

“We will meet Chief Minister and Chief Secretary to brief them about the wrong doing on the IAS nomination curtailing the right of state civil service officers. If they did not do justice, we will take up the issue with UPSC and Department of Personal and Training to ensure our right”, said a senior TCS officer here today. He added, the TCS Officers Association would not allow other officers to become IAS officer curtailing out legitimate right. In the last year, altogether 11 senior civil service officers became IAS officers and not a single IAS nomination was from non-cadre officer.