KCR sends strong missive to PM Modi over tweaking AIS rules

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has joined the group of West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers who raised a banner of revolt against the Union Government's recent decision to amend the All India Services (AIS) Rules, 1954.

Days after a few non-BJP ruling state Chief Ministers registered their protest against the amendment to the AIS rules, KCR shot off a strong letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding to withdraw the proposed changes to the service rules of the bureaucrats. The Centre's move would threaten the spirit of mutual adjustment and accommodation between States and Central Governments in the matter of shared All India Services, he said. "The amendments will further strain the Centre - State relationship. Further, the proposed amendments will also seriously erode the All - India Service character of the IAS, IPS and IFS," he said.

KCR said that the TS Government is opposing the Centre's plan to assume the power to take officers on deputation without concurrence of the officers or State government concerned.

The proposal was clearly a move to exercise indirect control by the Union Government on officers working in the States. It amounts to interfering in the functioning of the State Governments, targeted harassment of officers and their demoralization, besides impacting accountability of officers to the state governments. It would also render state governments as helpless entities in matters of All India Services officers, the CM explained in the letter.

He said the proposal to amend the AIS rules had shown scant regard to the administrative exigencies and requirements of the states.