Telangana CM demands PM Modi to drop proposed amendments to IAS cadre rules

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Monday expressed strong protest to Prime Minister Narendra Modi against the proposed amendments to the All India Services (Cadre) Rules and said that the move is against the federal polity of our Constitution.

"The proposed amendments militate against the federal structure of our constitution both in letter and spirit. Further, the proposed amendments will also seriously erode the All-India Service character of the IAS. IPS and IFS. Telangana State Government therefore strongly opposes the proposed amendments. This is a dangerous move that is against the constitutional framework and spirit of cooperative federalism. If the proposed amendments are effected by the Government of India, the State Governments would be reduced to be insignificant entities," he said.

The Telangana Chief Minister said the proposal is a move to exercise indirect control by the Centre on officers working in the States. It amounts to interfering in the functioning of the State Governments, targeted harassment of officers and their demoralisation, besides impacting accountability of officers to the State Governments. It would also render State Governments as helpless entities in a matter of AIS officers.

"Therefore, I demand the Government of India to cease and desist from the proposed amendments in the interest of administrative fairness and the federal polity of our Constitution," he wrote.

The Centre has proposed an amendment to the IAS (Cadre) Rules, 1954, which would enable it to post IAS officers on central deputation, bypassing reservations of state governments.

( With inputs from ANI )