Uttarakhand IPS Officers Challenge Deputation Orders

The Uttarakhand High Court's division bench, led by Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay, has instructed IPS officers Neeru Garg and Arun Mohan Joshi to take their deputation challenge to the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). The officers have alleged that the central government's deputation orders contravene the Ministry of Home Affairs’ rules.

In court, the central government argued that the officers, as central government employees, are subject to recall on deputation as needed. It asserted that any formal objection should be directed to the CAT, noting that the officers had bypassed this step by approaching the High Court directly. The division bench has now recommended that relief be pursued through the CAT.

This legal maneuver by the officers against the Centre's deputation order has sparked debate within Uttarakhand’s bureaucratic and government sectors. Concurrently, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced the allocation of ministerial portfolios following a recent cabinet expansion, retaining control over several critical departments, including General Administration and Home Affairs.