Raw officers may return, promotion meeting next week

The government expects to seal the controversy by early next week over the second rung leadership putting down their pens in protest against an Indian Police Service officer’s promotion last month and proceeding on leave. HT Correspondent reports.

The worst might be over for India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).

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The government expects to seal the controversy by early next week over the second rung leadership putting down their pens in protest against an Indian Police Service officer’s promotion last month and proceeding on leave.

Officers at the intelligence agency had complained of being superseded by the IPS officer, AB Mathur, who was promoted to the rank of a special secretary. His colleagues at the agency, officers of the rank of Additional Secretary, felt slighted.

“The departmental promotion committee is expected to meet next week, possibly on Monday, to decide on the promotions of the eligible officers,” a senior government official said.

The government hopes that the dust would settle once this decision is taken. “They may or may not be promoted, depending on their record,” he said.

“As of today, three officers are on leave. They sought leave on personal grounds. And they did so individually,” a senior functionary in the security establishment said, pointing that the motive behind the leave wasn’t lost on them.

The fourth officer, who had joined the protests in the initial phase, has since rejoined work.

Denying that the seniority of officials had been tampered with, government officials do recognise that the protesting officers may have a legitimate grouse.

“But when the grouse was being attended to, there was certainly no reason for the officers to act the way they did and bring the organisation into the limelight,” the officer said.