Haryana Chief Minister Mr. Nayab Singh Saini has approved the elevation of 27 Haryana Civil Services (HCS) officers to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). These officers belong to the 2002, 2003, and 2004 HCS batches.
A senior Haryana government officer confirmed that the matter will now be forwarded to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for further processing. Once the proposal is received, the UPSC is expected to convene a meeting to finalize the promotions.
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The state has multiple vacancies for IAS officers under the promotion quota, including three positions for the 2020 batch, four for 2021, eight for 2022, ten for 2023, and two for 2024.
Delayed Promotions Due to Legal Proceedings
The promotion of HCS officers had been delayed for several years due to legal hurdles. A chargesheet filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in a Hisar court alleged irregularities in the recruitment of the 2002 HCS batch, which stalled the promotion process.
Previously, the Haryana government had sent a list of 31 HCS officers for consideration against 15 IAS vacancies. Some of these officers were from the controversial 2002 batch, which had been under scrutiny for alleged recruitment irregularities.
Former Advocate General of Haryana Mr. Baldev Mahajan had earlier stated that an officer cannot be denied promotion consideration solely based on an FIR. He suggested that the state government submit the names of the 2002-batch officers to the UPSC while noting the pending legal proceedings.
Opposition to 2002-Batch Promotions
In December 2023, former minister Mr. Karan Singh Dalal wrote to the UPSC chairman, opposing the promotion of the 2002-batch officers. He cited findings by the ACB, which labeled their selection as “tainted” and mentioned that they were chargesheeted for offenses like forgery, cheating, and corruption. The officers are currently facing trial in a Hisar court.
Mr. Dalal had previously challenged the 2002 HCS selection process in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which found irregularities in the selection of 38 candidates. The court directed the state vigilance bureau (now ACB) to investigate the case, leading to further scrutiny.
Despite the legal hurdles, the Haryana government has now approved promotions for officers from the 2002, 2003, and 2004 batches, resolving long-standing delays in career advancements.
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