Shimla, September 9
A Himachal cadre 1987 batch of Indian Administrative Services officer questioned the Jai Ram Thakur Government’s decision of appointing Junior rank IAS officer R D Dhiman as Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh.
In a strongly worded memorandum addressed to the Governor of Himachal Pradesh, Nisha Singh, Principal Advisor (Trg . & FA ) of Himachal Pradesh, on Thursday expressed her anguish over the Government’s decision to by-pass her seniority without assigning any reason.
She stated that she was superseded by making an officer Chief Secretary who is a junior. She said that the matter was also raised before the government by way of a representation for the definition of the role and functions of a Senior IAS. Terming the decision mockery of her representation, she sought the Governor to intervene. In an earlier representation, Singh also had apprised the Chief Minister over the decision taken by the government.
In the representation, she questioned the prudence and empathetic attitude and injustice towards a lady. She stated that small-mindedness and vileness in the heart of the administration from the Chief Secretary downwards is inappropriate for positive governance and to give a humane face to the Government and administration. In the memorandum, she stressed that the experience and understanding of a junior rank officer who has been appointed as Chief Secretary is far less compared to her.
She said that her supersession had been unwarranted and in total ignorance of the work done by her with sincerity and conscientiousness. ” It seemed that the present administrative dispensation has not been geared up positively towards lady officers and women in general,” said Singh, who is also President of the IAS Association.
She also pointed out that many lady officers, both IAS and HPAS, come to her for redressal of injustice done to them, and she also tries her best to resolve their grievances. If there is no empathetic attitude and justice towards lady officers, where would other women go, she argued, leaving her grievance matter to the judgment of the Chief Minister.
