HYDERABAD: The state government seems to be on a hiring spree even though there is no dearth of officers to carry out its programmes. The government has re-appointed over a dozen former officers over the past few years for various posts, right from the lower level to the higher level posts, such as officer on special duty (OSD) or as consultants, including for posts in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
The government has been appointing retired officers even though there is stiff opposition from the employees’ associations, and seems undeterred by the PILs filed against it in various courts. On Thursday, the state government extended the term of assembly secretary V Narasimha Charyulu until further orders. Earlier, assembly secretary Sadaram was also given an extension.
Cadre posts, which are generally held by service officers, have been given to retired officers. Last week, retired IAS officer P Satyanarayana Reddy was appointed as commissioner of civil supplies department and managing director of civil supplies corporation. Satyanarayana Reddy had retired as member-secretary of
Telangana State Pollution Control Board a few months ago.
Interestingly, the CMO principal secretary S Narsinga Rao was reappointed soon after the TRS government came to power for a second time. Narsinga Rao retired last year as principal secretary (IAS) and before transfer on deputation, he took voluntary retirement to become
Coal India
chairman.
Similarly, another IAS officer, Siva Shankar, who retired as secretary of finance department, was reappointed with the finance department stating that his
services
are required in the department. “It appears that the state government is taking a policy decision on appointing retired officers and converted some offices as rehabilitation centres. This is not a good practice and officers on the verge of retirement may compromise on certain issues hoping to be reappointed,” Forum for Good Governance (FGG) secretary M Padmanabha Reddy told TOI. He said that about half-a-dozen retired civil servants were already appointed as advisors and given cabinet ranks, adding that the practice has been unheard of in Telangana’s history.
Moreover, all important departments such as irrigation, roads and buildings and irrigation are being headed by retired officers.“The government has appointed Sujatha Gupta, who took voluntary retirement from Union government services recently, as OSD by paying a salary of ?2.35 lakh a month. But there are half-a-dozen IAS officers in the municipal corporation, yet, the government wants to hire her. This is nothing but wasting of taxpayers’ money,” S Chandrasekhar, founding member of India Against Corruption Volunteers Association, told TOI.
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