The long list on the incumbency board in any Punjab bureaucrat’s office will give you a fair idea of the reshuffle by the state governments. And now Punjab has ruled that state-cadre bureaucrats will not have a fixed term of posting.

The government’s decision negates the Centre guidelines according to which an IAS officer should serve a post for at least two years before being moved.

According to the Punjab government, appointment and transfer of IAS officers are a prerogative of the state.

If their term is fixed, it will not only create functional and administrative problems, but also overstep the authority and jurisdiction of the state government.

A meeting in this regard, chaired by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, was held this week. Chief Secretary S C Aggarwal told The Indian Express, “The Centre’s advisory is not binding on us. It was decided in the meeting that there will not be any fixed term for state cadre of IAS officers. It is the privilege of the state government.” Punjab Advocate General H S Mattewal was also present during the meeting.

The powers to transfer bureaucrats has been often used by the state governments for rewarding or punishing. A fixed term is a move to de-link administration from political control. Aggarwal said formatting tenures for IAS officers will create more problems. “Under the guidelines, transfers will be on request, promotion or if the officer is deemed unfit for the post. The government will be bound by these categories which may be undesirable at times,” he said.

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