The youth in Uttar Pradesh may be facing an acute problem of unemployment but lucrative jobs are coming easy for retired bureaucrats in the state.
The Akhilesh Yadav government is extremely liberal in “accommodating” loyal bureaucrats in key positions after their retirement from service.
In the past one week, the state government has appointed retired IAS officer Desh Deepak Varma as chairman of the Electricity Regulatory Commission — a post that was being eyed by many. Mr Varma had been called form central deputation in 2012 after the formation of the Akhilesh government and was tipped to be the chief secretary. However, there was a last-minute glitch and the post went to Jawed Usmani. Mr Varma promptly returned to the Centre and later retired.
His post-retirement appointment to the coveted post is now being seen as a compensatory move.
Another retired bureaucrat who has got a new job is Ganga Din Yadav. He has been appointed the head of the newly formed Cooperative Election Commission that will supervise elections in all cooperative bodies. Mr Yadav, known for his proximity to the Yadav family, had been sidelined completely in the Mayawati regime but after his retirement, he has now bounced back with a vengeance.
Former UP chief secretary Navin Chandra Bajpai has also been appointed vice-chairman of the state planning commission.
Similarly, the Akhilesh government has appointed former IAS officer Satish K. Agarwal and head of the State Election Commission. Mr Agarwal had been suspended in the Mayawati regime and it was ensured that he remained sidelined throughout.
Sources said that two other bureaucrats who are on the verge of retirement are being reappointed by the government as officers on special duty that will ensure continuance of all perks that they are presently entitled to.
Defending the trend, a senior Samajwadi minister said that this was done basically to ensure that the experience and capability of efficient officers does not go waste after retirement.
Apart from IAS officers, the Akhilesh government has also reappointed retired officers of various state cadres in the departments.
“If they are fit and healthy and can continue to contribute, what is wrong in giving them another chance?” he asked.
Interestingly, there are very few IAS officers who hang up their boots after retirement. Majority of them ensure re-employment for themselves in the private sector where the pay packets are heavier than what the government had given them.
“The officers are smarter these days and fix up post-retirement deals while they are in office. Today, you have retired IAS officers working in the private sector and some of them even negotiate with the government for their new bosses. One such officer is placed in South Africa and is known to crack deals between the state government and his new boos,” said a retired former chief secretary.