Ex-IAS officers oppose Centre’s plan to appoint civil servants as ‘rath prabharis’

NT Correspondent

New Delhi: A coalition comprising 70 retired Indian Administrative Service officers, academics, and activists has expressed strong opposition to the Union government's proposal to appoint civil servants as 'rath prabharis,' as per a 'Scroll' report.

The circular issued on October 17 by the Union government instructed all ministries to select officers holding the ranks of joint secretaries, directors, and deputy secretaries, extending down to the gram panchayat level in all of India's 765 districts.

These officers would be deployed as 'district rath prabharis' or special officers between November 20 and January 25.

Their role would be to help 'showcase and celebrate the achievements of the Bharatiya Janata Party government over the past nine years' through the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra.

In a joint statement addressed to President Droupadi Murmu, chief ministers, and members of parliament, notable figures such as EAS Sarma, Aruna Roy, Venkatesh Athreya, and Jawhar Sircar, among others, criticised the deployment of the central government's machinery to promote the achievements of the National Democratic Alliance government, deeming it a corrupt practice.

The civil society group has condemned this move as a significant step backward, asserting that it represents the first instance in which the ruling political leadership at the Centre has mobilized its entire administrative apparatus and public resources to bolster its image on the eve of elections.