States follow the centre

States, ultimately, follow the centre. Take Odisha. It is an open secret that the state government peroidically presents ‘prized postings’ to IAS officers after their superannuation, a not-too-subtle acknowledgement of their loyalty and obedience to political bosses.

 

Examples abound in Naveen Patnaik’s regime. Former Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy, a 1973 batch IAS officer, has been appointed State Election Commissioner after his retirement in 2009.

 Likewise, another former Chief Secretary Tarun Kanti Mishra, a 1975 batch officer, has been appointed Chief Information Commissioner of Odisha, post his retirement in 2010.

 

Satya Prakash Nanda, a 1975 batch officer and former Development Commissioner, became Chairman of the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission while Chinmay Basu, who retired as Principal Secretary, was given the hot seat as Chairman of the Odisha Public Service 

Commission.

 

Says Basant Das, senior political analyst: “I wonder why the government is placing only retired bureaucrats at important positions in independent agencies like Information Commission, Election Commission, and Electricity Regulatory Commission. Does it mean the government intends to maintain its influence and control over these bodies through its favourite bureaucrats? In Naveen’s regime, loyal officers have been rewarded. People say these are like ‘rehabilitation schemes’. This should not be done.”

 

Points out Sivananda Ray, lawyer and Congress vice-president, "I don’t find any justification in hiring retired bureaucrats for independent positions. A few years ago, the vice-chancellor of Odisha’s leading agricultural university was a retired chief secretary! The irony is that the leader of opposition has twice given his note of dissent during the appointment of chief information commissioner. Competent persons with expertise should be given appointments in top regulatory bodies or independent agencies which carry quasi-judicial and investing functions.” The point is this: will his party in power at the centre listen?