A delegation of Central Secretariat Service (CSS) officials on Friday sought the intervention of Union Minister Chirag Paswan to take up the issue of their long-pending cadre review with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Members of the CSS Forum, which represents around 13,000 of the department officials, met Paswan and demanded the implementation of the CSS cadre review report — which has been in the works since October 2022. Udit Arya, the Forum president, told The Indian Express that Paswan assured the delegation that he would take up the issue with the PM soon. “He has assured us that he will write to the Prime Minister about our demand,” Arya said. The routine cadre review exercise, which is held every five years, leads to an increase in the number of posts available as well as helps in addressing stagnation among officials by opening up more spots for promotion. The report, however, has been pending for about two years, Arya said. CSS officials including deputy secretaries — under secretaries and section officers — are posted in the ministries of the Union government. Paswan, a key NDA ally, had last month come out against the Union government’s plan to recruit 45 lateral entry officers without reservation. A day after he objected, the Government asked the Union Public Service Commission to withdraw the advertisement. Before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Forum members had organised a protest march in March, demanding that the cadre review process be initiated. They met Dr Jitendra Singh, MoS, Ministry of Personnel, in January and raised this demand too. “The Hon’ble Minister assured immediate action, offering hope for a resolution after over a year-long wait,” the CSS Forum had said after the meeting.
