The Uttar Pradesh IAS Association that had been lying defunct since 2007 when Ms Mayawati became chief minister, is now poised for a resurrection.
Efforts are on to revive the association by organising an annual general meeting of members at the earliest to elect a new set of office bearers and make a fresh start.
In its 100-year-old history, the IAS cadre has never faced the kind of suppression that it did during the Mayawati regime.
“It was the worst phase in history for the elite cadre. Office bearers of the association were ruthlessly transferred to insignificant posts and all possible efforts were made to split the association so that the splinter group could work as a stooge of the government. The chief minister, on the advice of her loyalists, refused to give time for the annual general meeting of the IAS Association and anyone who spoke up was promptly punished,” said a senior IAS officer who is also a member of the executive committee.
The last annual meeting of the UP IAS Association was held in December 2006 when Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav was the chief minister.
According to sources, the association has recently informed chief minister Akhilesh Yadav about its plans to hold an annual general meeting and the latter gave a “positive response” on the issue.
“We are now waiting for the ongoing Budget session to come to a close and the local bodies’ elections to wrap up before we set about finalising the date for the IAS week which, in any case is long overdue. We do not wish to wait till winters, a time when the event is usually held, because this has been an exceptional situation,” the officer added.
The Uttar Pradesh IAS Association has been headless since the past five years.