IAS babus crunch hits budget-making plan

Each officer is entrusted with the task of dealing with the administration of more than one department

Hyderabad: Shortage of IAS officials has hit the process of preparation of budget proposals for 2017-18 financial year in the State. It may be mentioned here that senior IAS officers are overburdened as they are looking after administration of more than one department.

The key departments like SC ( Scheduled Castes ) and ST (Scheduled Tribe) Welfare, Transport, Stamps and Registrations, Industry, CCLA (Chief Commissioner of Land Administration), Housing , Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Departments are functioning without full-time Secretaries at a crucial time when the process of budget preparation is on. As a result, the budget preparation is moving at a snail’s pace.

Even the newly-appointed Chief Secretary S P Singh has yet to be relieved from the post of Special Chief Secretary to the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department . While, the top official is busy holding meetings with all other departments to speed up the implementation of government schemes, the panchayat Raj and rural Department officials have been waiting for Singh’s appointment to hold pre –budget meetings and discuss the budget proposals.

The Chief Secretary, who also holds CCLA, has also to convene meeting with land administration officials ahead of the budget preparations to finalise the extent of land to be given to the poor under ST land distribution program. Another senior official and Special Chief Secretary to Energy Ajay Mishra has been given additional responsibility of SC welfare and SC Sub Plan programme. After assuming charge in the Energy Department, Mishra has been entrusted to hold series of review meetings on the progress in the new power projects and hurdles facing in their completion.

Preparation of budget proposals for the two key Energy and SC welfare Departments has put huge burden on the senior officials. In view of time constraint , the only option before Mishra is to finalise budget without holding detailed meetings. Principal Secretary to Commercial Taxes and Excise and Prohibition Somesh Kumar has also been facing tough time in handling the administration of the ST Welfare Department for which he has been appointed as Secretary in full-time charge (FAC).

While, Somesh is busy finding ways to increase revenues and studying the GST bill, sources said the official is on tenterhooks to balance his duties between two important departments. The other important revenue generating Stamps and Registration Department also did not have a full-time Secretary.

Labour and Employment Secretary Nadeem Ahmed was given full additional charge. Principal Secretary to Roads and Buildings department Sunil Sharma is holding the additional post of Commissioner Transport department. As the official is busy pursuing the State road projects with the Centre and finalising new projects in the new financial year, Sharma is yet to hold meetings with Transport Department to take policy decisions with regard to the increase of license fees from next financial year.

After the Industry Secretary Arvind Kumar has been transferred to New Delhi last week, IT Secretary Jayesh Ranjan was entrusted with the Industry Department. GAD (Political) Secretary Adar Sinha was given full additional charge of the key Services and HRD ( Human Resources Development ) department.

Chitra Ramachandran , who has been appointed as Principal Secretary to Housing for the implementation of 2 BHK scheme, is also holding additional responsibilities as Managing Director of Rajiv Swagruha Corporation limited and State Housing Corporation Limited.

The retirement of nearly 10 senior IAS officials in 2016 caused huge scarcity of experienced bureaucrats. As there is no option left, the in -service senior officials have been given additional responsibilities. Under these circumstances, the officials of the departments concerned told The Hans India that the deadline set by the government to submit the budget proposals before January 12 may not be met.

By Patan Afzal Babu