Chandigarh administration wants replacements before relieving 'recalled' HCS officers

A day after the Haryana government "immediately" recalled two Haryana civil services (HCS) officers - Kamlesh Kumar and Mandeep Kaur - in "public interest", the UT administration is in no mood to relieve them of their duties unless and until replacements are made available, it has been learnt.

A day after the Haryana government "immediately" recalled two Haryana civil services (HCS) officers - Kamlesh Kumar and Mandeep Kaur - in "public interest", the UT administration is in no mood to relieve them of their duties unless and until replacements are made available, it has been learnt.

While Kumar is director, public instructions (DPI), schools, Mandeep is the director for social welfare.

A top official involved with the procedure confirmed that keeping in mind the increasing shortage of officers the Chandigarh administration has decided to convey to the Haryana government that the latter should send a panel of officers for the posts before it calls back the incumbents from their UT deputation. That procedure, the official said, would take "around a month if started today".

He even added that panels should be sent by Haryana for "two to three posts", implying that the repatriation of at least one other HCS officer could be delayed too.

The shortage is imminent, said at least two senior officers, as the UT administration has decided in policy to repatriate state civil officers from Punjab and Haryana who have been posted with Chandigarh for at least four years.

Even on Thursday, Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) general manager SP Parmar (HCS) was relieved of his duties for repatriation to Haryana as he had completed his four-year tenure.

Kamlesh and Mandeep, however, have not completed four years.

Meanhwile, at least four PCS officers and one HCS officer are to be repatriated by June 9 as per their requests.

NO LONGER PLUM

In a reversal of an earlier trend, not many state officers are keen to stay on, or come and join the UT administration, top sources said. Reason: The UT adviser Vijay Kumar Dev giving more powers to the UT-cadre officers than the Punjab and Haryana officers.

Several key charges are at present concentrated with officers from the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre - from which Dev also comes - and efficiency is purportedly being seen as a deciding factor.

The unceremonious removal and overnight repatriation of Mohammed Shayin, a Haryana-cadre IAS officer, from the deputy commissioner's post is also being seen as a factor. Even Kamlesh and Mandeep had written to their parent state to call them back around a month ago.

Kamlesh, who recently faced charges of making casteist remarks at a school child's parents, had joined the UT administration in September 2013 and is yet to complete even two years of his second deputation in the UT, which usually lasts for three years.

He had stated to the Haryana chief secretary that he had already served in the UT for seven years inclusive of an five-year term from 2006-11.

Mandeep, who was in the thick of controversies recently for complaining against an IAS officer and because of some decisions in her earlier posting at the Chandigarh Housing Board, had joined the UT in July 2012.

When contacted, both Kamlesh and Mandeep confirmed that they were yet to be relieved of their charges by the UT administration. While personnel secretary Vikram Dev Dutt remained incommunicado, adviser Dev did not respond on the issue either.