Tripura Faces Senior Bureaucracy Crisis as Over a Dozen IAS Officers Remain on Central Deputation for Years; CM’s Pleas Ignored

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, June 8, 2025

Tripura is reeling under a serious administrative shortfall as more than a dozen senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers of the Tripura cadre continue to remain on central deputation or hold assignments outside the state, some for over a decade. This comes at a time when the state administration is grappling with acute officer shortage, and several critical central projects are stalled due to lack of senior level supervision.

Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha has, on more than one occasion, reportedly urged for the return of these experienced officers to strengthen the state machinery.

However, for reasons unknown, not a single senior officer appears willing to return to the state, despite repeated appeals and the growing urgency of governance challenges.

Senior IAS Officers of Tripura Cadre on Deputation are: Shri Sriram Taranikanti (TR:1992), Director, LBSNAA, Mussoorie, Shri Shashi Ranjan Kumar (TR:1992), Secretary, UPSC, New Delhi, Shri M. Nagaraju (TR:1993), Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, GoI, Shri Asutosh Jindal (TR:1995), Minister (Economic), Embassy of India, Washington DC.

Shri Barun Kumar Sahu (TR:1992) is one of the senior most officer presently in ‘Compulsory Waiting’ for over two years with no clear explanation. One of the most alarming cases is that the state administration and public alike remain in the dark about the reasons behind this unexplained delay in his reassignment.

As per the state Secretariat sources, due to this Severe Officer Shortage, the state's administrative backbone is weakening, with key development schemes and governance functions suffering due to the absence of senior decision-makers.

Secretariat sources said that several officers have been away for extended periods, raising concerns over imbalance in cadre contribution and accountability. And with no senior officers to guide and supervise, junior officers are bearing the brunt of administrative pressure. In a stop-gap measure, the Tripura government has resorted to reappointing retired IAS officers to fill critical vacancies.

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