Catch-22 situation for IAS Association

WITH THE Raj Bhawan giving no indications of relenting on the issue of its directives to defer the Civil Service Week, the Uttar Pradesh IAS Association finds itself in a catch-22 situation. It is sandwiched between the top two functionaries ? the constitutional and the executive heads..

WITH THE Raj Bhawan giving no indications of relenting on the issue of its directives to defer the Civil Service Week, the Uttar Pradesh IAS Association finds itself in a catch-22 situation. It is sandwiched between the top two functionaries — the constitutional and the executive heads..

HT Image

While the Governor has asked the association to defer the function from in mid December to January, CM Mulayam Singh Yadav is unlikely to accept any change in the schedule.

“So, the association finds itself in a dilemma as it has to respect the wishes of both the Governor and the CM,” said a senior IAS officer while expressing his concern over what he called unprecedented directives from the Raj Bhawan.

“We have sought appointment with the Governor to explain our point. If the Governor refuses to relent, the association will have no option but to discuss the issue at its executive committee meeting to be held on November 14, 2006,” he said. He added the association might also put up the issue before the Governor and CM to seek directions from them again.

Barring the dinner that the Raj Bhawan traditionally hosts for IAS officers, the Governor has no major role to play during the week. Successive Chief Ministers have found the week an occasion to give their message political or otherwise at the senior administrative officers’ conference organised every year as part of the week.

“If the CM goes ahead with the conference the association would have a truncated week,” said a senior office bearer of association. This is not to assert that association would be setting a new precedence if it changed the dates following the directives from Raj Bhawan.

There have been instances when the association had deferred the week to associate itself with concerns of people during natural calamities like earthquake, tsunami or any communal flare up in any district of the state.

Another officer added that this was for the first time that the Raj Bhawan had asked for cancellation of the week under a situation when Governor and CM are at loggerheads with each other.

The IPS officers are also in a similar dilemma. The State Police would have to set aside conventions or annoy the Governor if it went ahead with holding the week.

The UP IAS Association would be keeping a close watch on the happenings vis-à-vis the police week to take a decision on the issue of deferring the Civil Service Week.