Centre clears AGMUT cadre officer for FCI GM’s post, Mann writes another letter

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has shot off a letter to Union Minister Pralhad Joshi asking him to reconsider the decision to appoint an AGMUT cadre IAS officer as General Manager of Food Corporation of India, Punjab Region.

Centre has cleared the appointment of Ritika Pawar, an AGMUT cadre IAS officer, to the post, months after Mann had written to the Centre stating that a Punjab-cadre IAS officer has always held the GM position at FCI, Punjab Region, arguing that the state’s unique security, agricultural and socio-political sensitivities require an officer familiar with ground realities.

B Srinivasan, a 2011 batch-Punjab cadre IAS officer, had been holding the post of GM of FCI for Punjab Region. On his retirement on December 31, Punjab Region’s additional charge was handed over to Sharandeep Kaur Brar, a Haryana cadre IAS officer, who is also GM of Haryana Region.

In the letter to Joshi on Monday, Mann objected to the recommendation of the Civil Services Board to post Nikita Pawar to the post, headquartered in Chandigarh. Mann said the appointment goes against a long-standing administrative practice of posting Punjab cadre IAS officers to the post, given Punjab’s central role in national food procurement.

Referring to his earlier communication dated November 6, 2025, in which he had flagged the issue, Mann in his demi official letter acknowledged Joshi’s letter, dated December 22, 2025, informing the state government about the Civil Services Board’s recommendation for posting Pawar.

While expressing respect for the Board, Mann said the decision needed reconsideration in view of “considerable concern and public outrage” in the state. He argued that since the inception of the FCI, it has been a well-established tradition to appoint an IAS officer from the Punjab cadre as GM of the Punjab Region, and that this was done for sound administrative reasons.

“The functioning of FCI in Punjab is deeply intertwined with the state’s agricultural ecosystem and national food procurement operations,” the Chief Minister wrote. He said Punjab cadre officers bring first-hand experience and deep understanding of the state’s procurement, storage and distribution systems, which is crucial for smooth coordination between the state government and central agencies. This, he added, is particularly important in a state that contributes a major share to the central food grain pool.

Responding to the Centre’s argument that officers from outside the state have also been considered in the past, Mann enclosed a detailed list of all officers posted as GM, FCI Punjab Region, since its inception on July 20, 1965.

According to the list, of the 37 officers who have held the post over the last six decades, 23 were regular appointments and all of them were IAS officers from the Punjab cadre. Officers from other cadres were given charge only for short periods and on an ad hoc basis, when temporary arrangements were needed. “In the last six decades, not a single regular General Manager of FCI Punjab Region has been from outside the Punjab cadre,” the letter read.

Mann said the historical record clearly establishes the practice and underlined that the issue is not about individual officers, but about ensuring administrative efficiency and protecting the interests of farmers, beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act, the state of Punjab and the larger national interest.

The Chief Minister also informed the Union Minister of Food and Consumer Affairs that the Punjab government has already submitted a panel of eligible Punjab cadre IAS officers for the post. “If a new panel is required, we will be happy to submit it immediately,” he wrote, adding that there are over 200 serving IAS officers from the Punjab cadre and that the Centre could select any suitable officer from among them.

“I am confident that, as always, you will consider this matter thoughtfully and generously,” Mann said, urging Joshi to appoint a Punjab cadre IAS officer as GM, FCI Punjab Region, Chandigarh.

Earlier, Man on November 22 had written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah reminded him that Punjab has borne the brunt of decades of militancy, cross-border smuggling and security threats, and continues to sit at the frontline of national security. “The state’s geographical, cultural and social conditions cannot be fully understood by an officer from outside,” Mann had written, adding that the role of GM, responsible for procurement, has direct implications for farmers, state security, and public trust.