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Despite 2013 resolution, IAS Week remains a non-starter
When the Uttar Pradesh IAS Association resolved on January 19, 2013 to hold the IAS Week and Annual General Meeting (AGM) every year it had valid reasons to do so.
When the Uttar Pradesh IAS Association resolved on January 19, 2013 to hold the IAS Week and Annual General Meeting (AGM) every year it had valid reasons to do so.
Till then, it had not been able to hold the IAS Week for five years in succession from 2007 to 2012. After the resolution, it held the IAS Week and the annual general meeting in 2014, 2015 and twice in 2016 (March and December that year).
The association also organised the IAS Week in December 2017 with AGM on December 16, 2017 and in 2019 with AGM on February 2, 2019. But its efforts to hold another event in early 2020 have failed to bear fruit.
“Yes, the association proposed the IAS Week in December 2019. The association has not been able to find appropriate time for the week since then as major events are taking place one after the other. We thought of holding the week early this year. But we had the DefExpo20, the state legislature’s budget session and now the officers posted in districts are on alert due to reports of coronavirus. The damage being caused to crops by rain and hailstorm is another cause for concern. Yet, all is not over and we may hold the IAS Week in the coming months,” said Uttar Pradesh IAS Association secretary Ranjan Kumar.
Asked whether the association had approached the chief minister for the senior administrative officer’s conference that he addresses during the IAS Week, a senior officer said the association had been in touch with the CM’s office on the issue. “But nothing has materialised so far,” said the officer.
Meanwhile, questions are being raised about the manner in which the association has responded to issues concerning the cadre. The association was seen accepting the state government’s decision to implement the police commissioner’s system in Lucknow and Noida as a fait accompli.
The association has remained concerned about the delay in promotion of 1988-batch officers as additional chief secretaries.
The association discussed the issue at its executive committee meeting held early this week.
Yet the association has not come out with any statement on the issue. “Yes, we had a meeting of executive committee. No decision was taken about giving any memorandum to the state government on the issue of delay in promotion of 1988-batch officers. We have decided to hold the executive committee meetings frequently,” said a senior officer without giving any details about other issues discussed at the meeting.
However, the association remains hopeful, saying all the issues will be resolved gradually, many old timers recollect the days of the Mayawati government when the association became virtually defunct from 2007 to 2012.
The association was not able to hold the IAS Week and the AGM during that five-year period. As a goodwill gesture, cricket matches between the IAS XI and Chief MInister’s XI were organised.
