What is UP IAS Week? Why it has not been held for past 2 years

Lucknow, Jan 1 (IANS) Bureaucrats in Uttar Pradesh have almost given up the tradition of holding the IAS Week and Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the UP IAS Association every year. The association has not been able to hold any such event since 2020. The annual general meeting of the association, usually held in December, has been a much-awaited event in bureaucratic circles. The IAS week allowed the different batches of the cadre to mingle and the cultural programmes by the officers promoted camaraderie and bonhomie.

Interactions with the chief minister and Governor eased tensions between the legislature and executive. The officials also did a bit of introspection and put forth demands for the betterment of the cadre. Retired IAS officers also participated in the IAS Week. The association appears to have `conveniently` forgotten its own resolution of 2013 declaring that the organisation will regularly hold its annual meeting. The tradition was first discontinued from 2007 - 2012 when Mayawati was the chief minister.

The association failed to hold its annual event during these five years that provided the members an opportunity to interact and discuss the issues, if any, facing the IAS cadre. After the resolution in 2013, the association was able to hold the IAS week and the AGM in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019.

The tradition was disrupted during the pandemic."The association has not been able to follow the commitment made in the resolution in 2013. Our officers have been busy checking the spread of Covid in the past two years. As far as the issue of holding the event this year is concerned, this is now the time to have a discussion on this and take a call," said a senior officer.

The officers feel that the association may have avoided holding the event due to Covid in 2020 but it should not use the same as an excuse now. "There are issues related to promotion of batches, deputation and even supersession These issues need to be discussed threadbare and the annual general meeting offers this opportunity," said another officer.

A retired IAS officer said, "The annual event strengthens the bonds within the cadre and, apparently, the political bosses do not want this to happen. Some of our officers are also spineless and do not have the courage to take a stand. It is unfortunate that the young officers will never know the strength of the association since it has become a vestigial organ of the executive."

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