TMC to raise IAS Cadre Rule amendment issue in Parliament session

By Express News Service

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress is all set to raise the Centre’s proposed amendment to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Cadre Rule in the upcoming Parliament session scheduled to be held between January 31 and February 11, the party announced on Thursday.

In a virtual meeting with the party MPs, TMC chairperson and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee instructed the lawmakers to demand the removal of governor Jagdeep Dhankhar as well following a recent face-off with the constitutional head of the state.

“The central government is creating obstructions against the federal structure of the country. We will oppose the Centre’s move to transfer IAS officers, and other bureaucrats in future to the central deputation with the state government’s consent in both the houses of Parliament. We will also discuss the issue with other political parties who are against the amendment in the IAS Service Cadre Rule,” said MP Sudip Bandopadhyay.

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Responding to the Centre’s revised proposal to amend the IAS (Cadre) Rules, 1954, which is said to be aimed to acquire bureaucrats by transferring them to central deputation without the agreement of the state governments, Mamata Banerjee on January 13 wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging the revised amendment proposal is “more draconian” and “against the foundations” of federal polity. She also said the amendment will hang on the head of each IAS officer like a “Damocles sword” and will create a “fear psychosis” that is bound to impact the officers’ performance, effectiveness and accountability to the state government.

Sources in the party said Mamata, in Thursday’s meeting, gave the MPs a roadmap to register their protest during the upcoming Parliament session.

“We will also demand removal of governor Jagdeep Dhankhar who is echoing the voice of the BJP in the state. He hit out at the Chief Minister and her government with a political aim on the premises of the Assembly which was not expected from a governor,” said a TMC leader. Two days ago, Dhankhar went to the Assembly to pay floral tribute to BR Ambedkar on the occasion of National Voter’s Day and slammed Mamata and her government.

“There is now rule of law in the state. It is the ruler’s law that rules the state. No voter is safe in the state. People of this state had to pay a heavy price after they voted as per their choice. The post-poll violence was a reflection of it. The Chief Minister has no idea about the capacity of the governor,” Dhankhar had said.