3 UP IAS officers likely to face termination

Three senior IAS officers in the Uttar Pradesh cadre may have to face termination of services for prolonged absence from service.

The state government has forwarded the three cases to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) at the Centre and a final decision in this regard is awaited.

The three IAS officers are Sanjiv S Ahuwalia, Atul Bagai and Sanjay Bhatia. It may be recalled that the DoPT has earlier “deemed as resigned”, the three other UP cadre officers, Shishir Priyadarshi, Arun Arya and Rita Singh, who had not reported back after their assignments abroad.

According to an official in the appointment department in Lucknow, 1983 batch IAS officer Atul Bagai recently reported back to the state government but has been awaiting posting since the government had already sent his case to the centre for directives. In 1995, Mr Bagai had gone to the centre and then on a foreign assignments and has returned to his parent cadre after almost two decades.

The other IAS officer is Sanjay Bhatia who belongs to the 1990 batch. Mr Bhatia has been on study leave since 2007 and despite several reminders; he has not responded or returned to the state government.

“We have also forwarded his case to the Centre and a decision on the same is awaited,” said an official.

Incidentally, both Mr Bagai and Mr Bhatia, at one time, were known for their proximity to SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Another officer, Sanjiv S. Ahluwalia, had gone on an assignment to Sudan in 2005 and did not return af-ter the expiry of his term in 2012. He, sources said, is also “deemed to have resigned”. Mr Ahluwalia , a 1980 batch officer, is reportedly working as advisor in the Observer Research Foundation.

The Centre, it may be recalled, has already finalised draft rules for officers in the central services according to which an officer may lose his job if he or she overstays on a foreign assignment for more than a month without taking necessary permission.

“What began as an exception is now turning into a rule. Officers go on foreign assignments and then overstay because they are secure about not losing their parent job,” said a retired chief secretary.

They feel they can return at will and resume work here. This kind of behaviour undermines the dignity of the cadre. Some time ago, a senior IAS officer returned after a nine-year absence and used his political clout to resume work here. It is time that action is taken against such officer,” said a retired chief secretary.