Government sends showcause notice to 37 bureaucrats

The Centre was forced to take coercive steps on Tuesday against 37 newly-appointed bureaucrats, who were served showcause notices and warned of strict action, after they were found to have missed an interactive session by Niti Aayog member Bibek Debroy, which was held on September 9.

The Centre has been organising a series of programmes for new IAS officers to sensitise them about the functioning of Central ministries, as well as to give them an idea about the NDA government’s various initiatives.

The Prime Minister’s Office had come up with an initiative in 2015 to allow newly-inducted IAS officers to be posted for three months in Central ministries before joining duty in their respective state cadres. The main idea behind the whole exercise was to sensitise the new bureaucrats regarding the functioning of the Central government.

A total of 172 IAS officers of the 2014 batch, posted as assistant secretaries for a period of three months since August 1, are currently working in various ministries in New Delhi as part of the PMO’s initiative.

The exercise had been started by the PMO in 2015 when IAS officers of the 2013 batch were asked to work in central ministries for three months.

The session in question, from which these 37 assistant secretaries were absent, was one among a series of such programmes.

An interactive session with Mr Debroy was organised on Friday, in which all assistant secretaries were directed to participate.

However, after they were found to be absent from the session, showcause notices were served to them.

“Whereas you were found to be absent, inter alia, means you were on unauthorised absence during the aforesaid session. Therefore, you are advised to show cause in writing within three days, i.e. September 15, 2016 as to why you were absent and why action should not be initiated against you,” the notice served by the department of personnel and training to the 37 IAS officers, read.