Red-faced DoPT:...Is it a corrective step or a mere face saving exercise?

Centre wants job details of IAS officers

Move Comes After CVC Thomas Fiasco

Vishwa Mohan TNN

New Delhi: Taking corrective measures after the P J Thomas episode,which left the department of personnel and training (DoPT) red faced,the Centre has written to all the states asking them to send personal particulars of all IAS officers in a bid to update the their executive record (ER) sheets with minutest of details.The move,which comes ahead of the appointment of new CVC,assumes significance as the states will have to send all detailsincluding copies of posting orders,joining reports,relieving orders and even notes on pending criminal cases of an individual officer to DoPT.
ER sheets are maintained by the department on the basis of information sent to it by states as well as individual officers.But in a number of cases (like Thomass case),sketchy ER sheets make it difficult for DoPT to compile details (bio-data ) of the IAS officers before any major appointment.Establishment officer of the DoPT,I V Subba Rao,in his letter to chief secretaries of states,said: The updating of entries in the ER sheets is done on the basis of copies of posting orders,joining reports and relieving orders issued by state governments or the government of India as the case may be.At times,due to non-receipt of various orders,the ER sheets remain un-updated.Reminder was sent to states amid continuing blame-game among DoPT,Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and Kerala government in the Thomas case.
DoPT had prepared bio-data of Thomas,which did not mention about pending case of corruption against him.The highpowered Committee,headed by the PM,appointed Thomas as the CVC on the basis of the biodata sans details of pending corruption case against him.However,the SC had to quash his appointment when the matter was brought before it through a PIL.