Yet another controversy has erupted in the corridors of power in Himachal Pradesh, and this time those at loggerheads are members of the government itself.
While Congress Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has preferred non-Himachali IAS officers for several plum posts in the government, even after their retirement, a contradictory statement came from Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Vikramaditya Singh on social media. He alleged that non-Himachali IAS and IPS officers, particularly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, had little concern for Himachal.
“If they are not dealt with seriously, the interests of the state will suffer,” he said. The minister asked these officers to learn from Himachali officers, adding that the state’s interests would not be compromised at any cost.
Vikramaditya Singh’s remarks came in the backdrop of Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri’s anger at a recent Congress rally in Mandi held recently, where he too spoke against officers in a similar tone.
While Vikramaditya Singh received a strong public response on social media, he also faced sharp criticism from Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh. Defending the officers, Anirudh Singh said that before criticising the officers, the leader should understand how the administration functions and how work gets done. He added that all officers were doing good work. “I have never had any problems working with any officer,” he added.
Following this, the IAS and IPS Officers’ Associations in Himachal Pradesh reacted strongly to Vikramaditya Singh’s statement against non-Himachali IAS/IPS officers.
In a public statement, the Himachal Pradesh IAS Officers’ Association criticised the minister’s remarks, saying that while the association respects the prerogative of elected representatives to hold opinions and ensure accountability in governance, singling out officers on the basis of their state of origin was inappropriate and risked causing serious harm to the morale and neutrality of the civil services.
“The officers serving in Himachal Pradesh, whether native to the state or allotted from other states, are members of the constitutionally created All India Services. They serve wherever they are posted with a sense of duty and professional integrity,” the Association said. It also urged the government to take appropriate steps to safeguard the dignity, morale, and neutrality of officers serving in the state.
The Himachal Pradesh IPS Officers’ Association also strongly condemned the narrative, saying that it tried to divide IPS officers on regional lines. The association urged the government to take serious note of the issue, avoid posting any IPS officer with PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh, and ensure that such statements are not repeated in the future.
The public is perplexed by the war of words as for the first time, a minister has spoken against IAS and IPS officers on regional lines, another minister has publicly defended the officers against his own minister to side with officers, and the IAS and IPS associations have openly criticised a serving minister.
“The official indiscipline is at its peak in this government. Earlier, an IPS officer posted in Shimla had spoken against his seniors and other officers in the media in what appeared to be a pre-planned way. No action was taken against the officer at that time. Even now, those at the helm remain quiet. This will only further damage the working environment in Himachal Pradesh further,” said some retired state government officers.
“The minister should not have said it in the first place. But the IAS and IPS officers Association have also taken a wrong stance by going public against a serving minister. The Chief Minister must intervene to stop this, which is not only gross indiscipline, but sends a wrong public message about the deteriorating decorum in a state like Himachal Pradesh, which has been known for its peaceful and good work environment,” they said.
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