Group I officers press for creation of TAS

Hyderabad: As the state continues to face a shortage of All India Officers (AIS), Telangana Group I Officers' Association has renewed its demand for creation of the Telangana Administrative Service (TAS) in the state.
According to them, a state-level service would not only resolve the problem of shortage of IAS officers but also enable some organs to function effectively as Group I officers have the requisite experience.Some states such as Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Odisha already have a state administrative service.
"The state govt has appointed some Group I officers as managing directors of a few corporations. The Group I officers, who have experience in local bodies, can be appointed as additional collectors (local bodies) of districts by creating TAS," association president Mamindla Chandrasekhar Goud told TOI.
The association, in a recent meeting, has decided to meet chief minister Revanth Reddy and Telangana state planning board vice-chairman G Chinna Reddy.
The TAS proposal has been on the table since 2015 and the state govt had appointed a six-member committee to look into it. However, the committee has not submitted its report yet. The association, which submitted its views and a report to the committee in 2017, had even visited some states to study their state service. Principal secretary in the chief minister's office (CMO), V Seshadri, was the chairman of the Administrative Reforms Committee in the previous BRS govt and was asked to study TAS. However, nothing came of it as the govt did not pay any attention subsequently.
The association said the Congress govt is in favour of TAS which would help the state overcome shortage of officers.