Only one JCA meeting took place since 2019, several officers stuck despite finishing tenure

New Delhi: Uncertainty prevailed over the transfer/posting of IAS, and IPS officers belonging to the AGMU cadre as the Joint Cadre Authority (JCA) meeting reportedly took place only 'once' in the last three years. The last such meeting took place in July 2019 whereas it is scheduled to take place every six months, a ministry source informed Millennium Post. The meeting is being conducted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) led by the Union Home Secretary.

Reportedly, the section strength of AGMU - IAS officers is around 1,300, including Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and all UTs such as Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Chandigarh, Andaman, Pondicherry and Delhi. Meanwhile, due to the elongated time-lapse, it has been seen that more than 30 officers who have completed their tenure in Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and other UTs three years back, are waiting for their transfer orders for the last 36 months. The ministry officials said that due to the COVID crisis, the ministry did not hold the meeting and at the same time did not mention any probable timeline of the next JCA meeting. Moreover, there are many such officers who take advantage of the rules, sources said.

"Those officers who are waiting to come to Delhi after completing their tenure from outside has to face problems due to the non-availability of posts. Many such IPS officers of the AGMU cadre could not come into the mainstream line for years even after having a great work record," an MHA official said.

As per the rule, every five years, officers are transferred from Delhi to some other state to keep the roaster periodic.

"At the same time, there are some officers who take advantage of some flexibility of the rules and get their transfer stopped through their contacts. And whenever their turn comes, they either go on medical leave, study leave or for some other reason," the officer claimed.

There are many such officers of IAS and DANICS, Ankur Garg, Madhup Vyas, Vikas Anand, Nikhil Kumar, Varsha Joshi, Geetanjali Gupta, Amit Singla, DM Vishvendra, C Arvind and Sanjeev Ahuja who have been still posted here in Delhi for some reason for years.

Meanwhile, the Union Government or the State Government has a special power to stop any officer's transfer or transfer any officer with an immediate effect. But there are many instances, where the rules are not been followed.

Earlier, one JCA meeting was likely to take place in December 2021. Moreover, after the abolition of Article 370, the direct posting of AGMUT cadre IAS officers was done in J&K. Joint Cadre Authority (JCA) was formed by All India Services (Joint Cadre) Rules, 1972, where they shall apply to a Joint Cadre constituted for any group of States other than the Joint Cadre of Union Territories.

The authority shall also determine the names of the members of the All-India Services, who may be required to serve from time to time in connection with the affairs of each of the constituent states and the period or periods for which their services shall be available to that government.