Punjab for status quo, but keeps UT waiting

CHANDIGARH: At a time when Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh is opposing the ministry of home affairs’ move to include Chandigarh DSPs in DANIPS cadre and stressing to maintain the 60:40 ratio of officers from Punjab and Haryana in the UT administration, the situation on the ground is completely different. Unavailability of officers from the two states is affecting the functioning of the UT.
Around half a dozen senior IAS and IPS officers of Punjab and Haryana cadre had joined the city after a delay of six to 14 months, forcing the administration to overburden the existing officers by giving them multiple charges.



Records revealed that UT SSP, a Punjab cadre IPS officer, joined the city after a delay of eight months since former SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill was relieved. Two posts, municipal commissioner and Citco managing director, are still lying vacant for over six months. Both the officers have to come from Punjab cadre IAS officers. Finance secretary A K Sinha from Punjab cadre joined almost eight months late after previous incumbent Sarvjit Singh was relieved.

The situation is same with the Haryana government. SSP (traffic and security) Shashank Anand, a Haryana cadre IPS officer, joined the administration after a gap of almost 14 months since the previous incumbent, Manish Chaudhary, was relieved. Similarly, the tenure of home secretary ended of January 31, but he has been given an extension as a new officer has not joined so far.

Since the Central government also takes some time to give clearances, Punjab and Haryana governments delay in sending a panel of officers. The administration has written a number of time to both the governments on the issue in the past.

“We constantly get panels of officers very late. Some of the times anomalies too are found in the panels, which further delay the process. If the state governments send the panel of the officers on time, we can process the same early to secure the Central government’s nod,” sources in the administration said.

“Even after sending the name in the panel, some officers have later showed reluctance to join. Last year while asking for the names of home secretary from Haryana and MC commissioner and Citco MD from Punjab, UT asked both of the states for NOC and consent from the contenders,” sources added.

Punjab reluctance troubling UT

Although the chief minister of both Punjab and Haryana time to time raise the issue of their claim on the city in terms of political and bureaucratic arena, their reluctant attitude has been constantly putting the UT in trouble.

It has been seen the departments of both the states don’t initiate the process to send the officers on time after completion of tenure of previous officers, causing long delays in the appointment of new officers Since the Central government also takes some time to give clearances, Punjab and Haryana governments delay in sending a panel of officers. The administration has written a number of times to both the governments on the issue in the past.

“Even after sending the name in the panel, some officers have later showed reluctance to join. Last year while asking for the names of home secretary from Haryana and MC commissioner and Citco MD from Punjab, UT asked both of the states for NOC and consent from the contenders,” sources in the administration said.