THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has criticized the lateral entry recruitment decision, calling it a move to induct RSS or RSS-inclined professionals into government. A joint secretary is a crucial and senior management post in the Union Government, concerned with policy-making and implementation. The lateral entry negates the very concept of a permanent and independent civil service and if the new decision is implemented it would weaken and belittle the civil service.
Joint secretary posts used to be reserved for IAS officers but the current move is aimed at infusing officers susceptible to political influence, undermining civil services. Recruiting joint secretaries in revenue, finance, economics, commerce, civil aviation, agriculture, cooperation, transport and shipping is but the beginning.
Appointing officials for a short term from the private sector, with no commitment to the Government, would jeopardize governance. Think of the situation when the very same officials would go back to the private sector, said Mr Vijayan. He also pointed out that the lateral entry move would deprive the reservation categories of their stake in governance.
