Field postings of 10 new IAS officers delayed in Bengal due to change in poll dates

The 10 IAS officers of 2015 batch joined the Bengal cadre in March this year and were deputed as either under-secretaries or officers on special duty (OSDs) in different departments of the state government.

The allotment of field postings for 10 new IAS officers of the West Bengal cadre has been delayed indefinitely because of the change in schedule of the panchayat polls in the state.

Opposition party activists take out a rally in Kolkata against violence during polls which has delayed the schedule of panchayat polls. (Samir Jana/HT FILE PHOTO)

The 10 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers of 2015 batch joined the Bengal cadre in March this year after passing out from Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) at Mussoorie in Uttarkhand.

However, instead of being allotted field postings as sub- divisional officers (SDOs) in districts, they were deputed as either under-secretaries or officers on special duty (OSDs) in different departments of the state government in March.

Originally, the polls were to be held in three phases on May 1, 3 and 5. Later, the schedule was delayed to a single phase on May 14.

“The polls were supposed to be over by May 5 and new rural bodies formed by May-end. However, the entire process got delayed and no one knows how much longer it will be delayed further.

A petition in Calcutta high court to be heard on May 7 seeking quashing of polls due to alleged inadequate security has further put a question on whether the election will be held as per schedule.

During the allotment in March, the P&AR department, under chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, had said that “since the new IAS officers lack prior administrative experience”, they would be allotted field postings only after rural polls were completed and new rural bodies were formed, so as to ease their beginnings as administrators.

However, the IAS circle argued that the same logic of “lack of administrative experience” was not applied for 45 probationary West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS) officers of 2015 batch, 90% of who have been allotted postings as block development officers (BDOs) in different districts of the state.

In the administrative ladder, the BDO’s post is lower by a rung to that of the SDO.

Meanwhile, poll related violence continued in Bengal. Late on Saturday, a Trinamool Congress activist, Nayan Mondal (32) was killed at Pakuria in Malda district allegedly by a group of CPI(M) and Congress activists. Nine persons have been arrested in this connection.

With this, the number of poll related deaths in Bengal rose to 13.

In Malda, Congress and Left Front have an electoral understanding for the rural polls.