RAS officials await transfer list with bated breath!

Jaipur: A total of 33 RAS officers are on APO as of today and among these are 23 who served as SA or OSD to ministers in the previous government. With the Gehlot government loosing power, the DoP put these 23 RAS officers on APO on December 5. Two of these 23 were posted in the CMO.

The 23 RAS officers include Devaram Saini, Mahipal Kumar, Deena Nath Babbal, Alok Kumar Saini, Suresh Bunkar, Dhirendra Yadav, Javed Ali, Rajesh Singh, Mahendra Sharma, Kailash Yadav, Laxmikant Balot, Jaiveer Singh, Brijendra Meena, Anurag Harit, Arvind Sarswat, Rakesh Gupta, Akash Tomar, Sanjay Sharma, Ashok Kumar, Vibhu Kaushik, Dhulichand Meena, Ashish Sharma and Govardhan Lal Sharma.

Interestingly, several of these RAS officers have been associated with ministers for many years. A senior RAS of 1997 batch served as OSD to a union minister and then served as Special Assistant (SA) to two ministers in the state government. Another RAS served as SA to a minister in the previous Congress government and when the Gehlot govt had its third tenure from 2018 onwards, the official again served as SA to a minister. The official had, in a way, taken over the departments that were being helmed by the minister. Although there were ministers with whom nonRAS were serving as SA or PS, but RAS officials ‘enjoyed’ their positions the most.

According to sources, 7 of these RAS on APO at present are trying their best to become SA or OSD to the ministers in the new government. But according to new guidelines, any official who has already served with a minister will not be given this chance again.

Among the remaining 10 RAS officers is Purushottam Sharma, who was recently shifted from DPR. Moreover, 2 RAS have been put on APO because IAS officials have been posted in their positions.

Apart from the RAS officials on APO, ten RAS are currently serving suspension among which are four official who were trapped by ACB. Thus, all 43 RAS (including APO and suspended officials) are drawing half their salary (owing to suspension) while sitting at home.

Now, the RAS transfer list is most awaited by 26 APO officials & about the same number of RAS officials are awaiting the list with the hopes of being appointed as SA or OSD to any minister. However, word is that this time around, all posting of any official, to the ministers’ office, will be done after detailed enquiry and investigation into the official.