Feel disillusioned over delayed career growth: DANICS officers

Delhi Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service or DANICS officers have sought the Centre's intervention for their timely promotion and career growth.
A delegation of officers has called on Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh here.
The officers, most of them of senior level, posted on crucial administrative assignments in union territory areas of Delhi, Daman, Diu, Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Andaman & Nicobar, and Lakshadweep, said they explained to the Minister how they were performing their duties in arduous and difficult situations, but feeling disillusioned because of delay in their career progression, a press release issued today by Personnel Ministry said.

In a memorandum submitted to Singh, the officers pointed out that the administrative responsibilities in the union territories are shouldered by DANICS officers at cutting edge and middle levels.
The officers are posted in different positions as District Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate and Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Special Commissioner, Special Secretary, Additional Commissioner or Additional Secretary, Deputy Commissioner or Deputy Secretary, etc. But, in spite of performing duties in onerous circumstances, they feel deprived of legitimate growth in career, the delegation said.
"The officers also expressed concern about acute stagnation in DANICS services which, they alleged, not only leads to financial loss but also denies the opportunity to grow in career," the release said.

They alleged that, as against the prescribed 8 years, it is sometimes taking them as many as 28 years for induction into Indian Administrative Service (IAS), it said.

The example of this, they pointed out, was that the 1989 batch of DANICS officers is still awaiting induction into IAS even as 2008 batch officers have also become eligible by now, the release said.
The worst affected, they alleged, were the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribes officers, some of whom joined the service late due to age relaxation available to them, it said.
The Minister gave a patient hearing to the delegation and said that the civil services officers are a valuable instrument of governance in whichever capacity they serve and whichever state or union territory they are assigned to.

He assured them that the Department of Personnel and Training will try to address their grievance as best as possible.