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Top HP civil servants tussle over promotion out in open
Nisha Singh had made a representation to the chief minister on July 19 seeking clarity on her role and functions after joining the new duty
Shimla: The tussle between the top Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers in Himachal has come to the fore as 1987-batch officer Nisha Singh opened a front against incumbent chief secretary RD Dhiman writing a strongly-worded letter to the chief minister Jai Ram Thakur and seeking the intervention of the governor.
Nisha Singh is currently posted as a principal advisor (Training and FA). The government had removed her husband Ram Subhag Singh, also a 1987-batch officer, from the post of chief secretary on July 14. Dhiman, who is a 1988 batch officer and junior to the husband-wife duo, was appointed as the new chief secretary.
Nisha Singh had made a representation to the chief minister on July 19 seeking clarity on her role and functions after joining the new duty.
In her letter to the CM, Singh alleged that she was superseded in the appointment of chief secretary without assigning a reason, “still I thought it fit to work sincerely”.
Singh wrote that at a time when several issues with respect to the Self Help Groups, animal husbandry, forestry, narcotics etc were being faced by the general public, the insensitive, callous and inept attitude has been taken by the administration.
“The advisors of the chief minister have totally misled him, shown extremely vile attitude and made a mockery of her representation,” she wrote adding that the notification issued on September 5 with respect to her role and responsibilities extremely humiliating,” wrote Singh.
She alleged that the capacity-building commission she had suggested along the lines of the Central Government has not been notified.
She said neither the administrative hierarchy nor departments which would report to her have been cited and also no institutional support of any kind has been assigned.
Moreover, I want to object that the experience and understanding of a junior officer who has been appointed as chief secretary is far less, as compared to, the undersigned. Can he advise the chief minister on the official work? On my representation he cannot be involved as he is junior to the undersigned,” she said adding that her supersession had been unwarranted and in total ignorance of the work she had done.
It seems that the present administrative dispensation has not been geared up positively towards lady officers and women in general.
As president of the IAS Association, I have had many lady officers, both IAS and HPAS, coming to me for redress of injustice done to them. I tried my best to resolve them. If there is no empathetic attitude and justice towards lady officers where would other women go? she asked.
