Telangana government to create a pool of ‘mini-IAS’ officers
Hyderabad: The Telangana state government is inclined towards the creation of a Telangana Administrative Service (TAS), or simply “mini-IAS officers,” the government wants to create a larger pool of administrative officials to work in the expanded administrative machinery following an impending “increase in the number of districts” and the division of the erstwhile state.
The government also wants to encourage the entry of young blood in the middle-level administration.
Unlike previous years, the government is looking to prepare a fixed calendar of recruitments, akin to the Union Public Service Commission, whereby recruitments to the TAS are taken up every year. Recruitments in the erstwhile AP were highly irregular with aspirants waiting for years together for Public Service Commission recruitment notifications.
The Telangana government is modelling the TAS on the lines of the Kerala Administrative Service created last year.
Earlier this year, the Haragopal Committee, appointed by the Telangana State Public Service Commission, had also recommended the creation of Telangana Civil Services. Another committee of the TSPSC is currently touring Kerala to study the model of KAS there. The government formed another five-member committee of high-ranking officials to discuss the modalities of the TAS.
Sources said officials are being sent to other states, like Rajasthan and Odisha, which also have adopted a similar model. “After state’s division, the need for IAS officers has almost doubled. We will need more officials when the number of districts also increases. So through the TAS, we can have a pool of mini IAS officers,” a high ranking official of the TS government, privy to the discussions, explained.
“We also need a pool for promotions to IAS and to ensure that there is vertical and horizontal mobility. We are still discussing the modalities. Once all the teams return from other states, we can deliberate further,” the official said.
In addition to inducting young blood into the administration, direct recruitments to certain key posts can also be taken up by the government instead of just depending on seniority and promotions.
