Proposed amendments to AIS Rules hurt cooperative federalism: Telangana CM

Joining the chorus of dissent, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Monday shot off a letter to the Centre expressing "strong protest" against the proposed amendments to the All India Services (Cadre) Rules 1954.

The proposal is clearly a move to exercise indirect control by the central government on officers working in the states and would also render state governments as helpless entities in matters of the AIS officers, Rao alleged in his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"On the face of it, the proposed amendments militate against the federal structure of our Constitution, both in letter and spirit. Further the proposed amendments will also seriously erode the All India Service character of the IAS, IPS and IFS. Telangana government, therefore, strongly opposes the proposed amendments," he said.

The move amounts to interfering in the functioning of the state governments, targeted harassment of officers and their demoralization, besides, impacting accountability of officials to the

states , he further opined.

The proposal is a dangerous move which is against the constitutional framework and spirit of cooperative federalism and if the proposed amendments are implemented by the Centre, the state governments would be reduced to insignificant entities, Rao said.

The proposed amendment to the All India Services (Cadre) Rules 1954 is nothing but amending the Constitution of India relating to the Centre state relations. Instead of such a backdoor method of amending the AIS rules, the Centre should muster courage to amend the provisions by the Parliament, Rao said.

"The present provisions of AIS Cadre Rules are adequate to ensure harmonious and balanced deployment of officers. Therefore I demand government of India to cease and desist from the proposed amendments in the interest of administrative fairness and federal policy of our Constitution," he said.

Referring to the Article 368 (2), Rao said the Centre's proposal will be violating the spirit of the Constitution which is highly objectionable.

Alleging that the proposal shows scant regard to the administrative exigencies and requirements of the states, the CM said the proposed amendments threaten the spirit of mutual adjustment and accommodation between states and the Centre in the matters of shared All India Services and will further strain the Centre state relationship.