CSS officers threaten 'non-cooperation movement' over delay in promotions

The Central Secretariat Service officers' association has threatened a non-cooperation movement from Wednesday over delay in their promotion, claiming it was causing irreparable financial loss to them.

The CSS Forum, an association of CSS officers, has written a letter to Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) informing about their proposed movement and demanding promotion orders in respect of the eligible employees before May 15, 2022.

It has been unanimously decided in a meeting held on April 30 that all Central Secretariat Service (CSS) officers are now left with only one resort i.e. non-cooperation movement, which is going to be started from 4th May, 2022, the letter said.

CSS officers will now follow the slow and lackluster attitude of our CCA i.e. CS-I Division DoP&T & will observe the old, customary, slow, procedural working pattern of nodal department, however, same may be against the dynamic working principles laid down by present dispensation under Hon'ble MoS & Hon'ble Prime Minister who always inspires us to have out-of-box thinking and innovative ideas to improve the administrative system, it said.

CSS officers who generally do late sitting on daily basis for betterment of our country, will not work after normal office hours, that is, after 5:30 pm, the letter said.

CSS officers who are overburdened due to lots of vacancies and 1 CSS officer is doing work of at least four officers, will work strictly as per manual of office procedure come what may and will not perform the work tricked down due to empty promotional posts especially cabinet notes/classified matters etc. which are mandated to be dealt at particular senior officers level, it said in the letter dated May 2.

One day in a week, CSS officers will wear black dress as a sign of hopelessness with the present system of working being followed in CS-I division, the letter said.

Further, even after the above steps, if CS division, DoP&T does not wake up from deep slumber on the issues and if they are left unresolved even by 15 May, the said non-cooperation movement will culminate into indefinite pen down strike in entire central secretariat from 20th May, 2022 onwards, said the letter signed by Manmohan Verma, General Secretary, CSS Forum.

The CSS officers form the backbone of central secretariat working.

The officers' body said the Cadre Controlling Authority (CCA) of CSS officers, that is the DoPT, seems unprepared and deliberately creating friction in implementation of its own guidelines.

Same has been clearly showcased in the meetings held in the matter with DoP&T CS-I division officials who are rigid about their intent that they are not going to think dynamically and will work only the old, customary, slow, procedural ways that would the promotions in CSS up to date, the letter said.

In spite of continuous pain, initiatives and assurances of Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh, how is it possible that hundreds of eligible CSS officers have retired/retiring each month without promotions with irreparable financial loss for rest of their life? it asked.

The CSS Forum has been demanding promotion to their members.

There are over 1,900 vacant posts at the levels of section officer, under secretary, deputy secretary and director against their sanctioned strength of over 6,000 a member of the CSS Forum said.