Coalgate: IAS officers body seeks safeguard for bureaucrats

Agitated over CBI's FIR which named former Coal Secretary P C Parakh as an accused in the coalgate scam, central IAS officers' association has decided to approach highest authorities in the government to ensure necessary safeguards for bureaucrats who make honest decisions.

"We are going to give our representation at the highest level in the government. Officers who are honest and made honest decisions in public interest should not be hounded. Necessary safeguards need to be there," central IAS officers' association secretary Sanjay R Bhoos Reddy told PTI.

In the present regime, an officer can be booked by investigating agencies for making a decision which benefits a company or individuals, he said.

"All members of the associations are agitated over it. If somebody is corrupt, hang him at the lamp post. But the honest must be protected," Reddy said.

"We will be meeting Prime Minister, Minister of State for Personnel, Cabinet Secretary and Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training and will give representation to them. If need be, we will meet President Pranab Mukherjee," he said.

The Association members yesterday held meeting to discuss issue of Parakh.

The IAS officers body, which has also recently changed its constitution to cover all IAS officers working in central and state government departments across the country, said they wanted the same safeguards for members of other services like Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS).

IPS and IFoS associations have also rallied behind Parakh.