New Delhi: The performance of IAS officers working in Delhi government will be reviewed by the Centre to keep an eye on non-performing bureaucrats.
The move comes against the backdrop of instances of confrontation between Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government and the Centre over transfer and suspension of some officers.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) today announced composition of committees to review the performance of IAS and IPS officers of Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, which includes those serving in the Delhi government.
The Kejriwal government has been seeking control of Delhi Police, which currently works under the Union Home Ministry.
Modifying over three-year-old instructions, the DoPT said Union Home Secretary will head two separate committees for IAS and IPS officers of the AGMUT cadre.
For IAS officers, the committee will have Delhi Chief Secretary, Secretary Border Management in Home Ministry, Principal Secretary, AGMUT cadre officer representing Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Joint Secretary (Union Territory).
Delhi Police Commissioner and Directors General of Central Armed Police Forces will be part of the panel to review IPS officers' performance. This Committee will also have Secretary Border Management in Home Ministry, Principal Secretary, AGMUT cadre representing SC or ST community and JS (UT).
The state governments were to set up committees for reviewing records of IAS and IPS officers. These committees were to be headed by Chief Secretary, they said.
The review committees have been formed under All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement-Benefits) Rules, 1958.
As per these rules, the central government may, in consultation with the state government concerned, require an IAS, IPS and Indian Forest Service officer to retire form service in public interest.
"The objective of the rule is to weed out the deadwood in order to maintain a high standard of efficiency and initiative in the state services. It is not necessary that a good officer may continue to be efficient for all times to come," said a Supreme Court order, quoted by DoPT in its earlier directive.
The DoPT has modified its directive issued in June 2012. In that order there was no mention of composition of review committees for UT cadre officers, official sources said.
The Centre has recently started the process of reviewing the performance of all its employees.
