Telangana grappling with officer deficit Premium

Telangana is facing challenges in governance due to a shortage of AIS officers

The Telangana government is facing severe hardships due to the absence of the required number of All India Services (AIS) officers as senior secretaries, Heads of Departments and other key posts, notwithstanding the progress the State has been making in various key parameters.

The sanctioned strength of IAS officers at the time of the State formation in 2014 was 163, while the allocated strength of IPS officers was 139, and 81 Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers were sanctioned for the State. The strength of IAS officers has since increased to 208 after the Centre sanctioned an additional 45 posts for Telangana.

However, the State had only 170 IAS officers in position last year — 38 less than the sanctioned strength — with no significant increase since then. There was also a shortage of nine IPS officers. In all, 57 IFS officers were on duty, as against the sanctioned strength of 81, at a time when the threat of the Maoist resurgence, especially in the forests and fringe areas, continues to haunt the administration.

Faced with a shortage of officers to man crucial departments, the State has been requesting the Centre to allot more officers to bridge the gap in the delivery of services to the people.

The Telangana government has repeatedly stressed the need to enhance cadre strength, especially in view of the reorganisation of the State into 33 districts in place of 10, in the interest of administrative convenience. This requires at least 22 posts each for District Collectors and Superintendents of Police, in addition to other posts such as Joint Collectors and other roles filled by bureaucrats fresh into service.

The Centre has no doubt conceded the request to increase the strength of IAS officers by direct recruitment and promotions, but asserted that the process would be spread over a while.

Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai told the Lok Sabha in December that the review of the IPS cadre in Telangana was under active consideration, but it was not feasible to specify a definite timeline for the process as it would be spread over a period of time.