S K Rekhi
A VIEW POINT
This refers to the news item “Govt to strictly implement transfer policy, open to plug lacunas” carried by Daily Excelsior dated 31.3.013. Strict implementation of employees transfer policy is as big a joke as cleaning river Jehlum with the help of a spoon. There has never been any just and equitable transfer policy in the State what to speak of its strict implementation.
Transfers like promotions and deputations have almost always remained at the top of the agenda of the politicians where the bureaucrats including the senior bureaucrats instead of checking the unjust, inequitable, undue foul smelling moves of selective makings and marrings of the politicians,they faithfully assist them in twisting all the applicable rules and regulations to get the best to the employees indicated from their pocket diaries by the politicians, senior bureaucrats and some senior party bosses by repeatedly ignoring those who are the best qualified and the best suitable for the job. Ashok Khemka the IAS officer of Haryana who was transferred more than 18 times during three years is just a sin all example in comparison to what is happening in our state, which enjoys special status. An auditor, long back, told the audience that an official of lower stature managed to get himself transferred to an important post and he not only sanctioned the maternity leave in favour of the male employees but had also engaged an advisor, against payment, to give clarifications on his behalf. In another seminar a speaker narrated his experience of meeting an under matric engineer in Baramullah Distt. The powers of transfers and postings, the politicians and the committed bureaucrats say, is a prorogative of the Govt and the qualifications, merit, trainings and experience etc are the issues which a transferring authority may or may not consider and this pick and choose policy, based on considerations diagonally opposed to constitutional and codal provisions have given rise to the popular saying “you show me the man and I show you the law”. There are some functionaries who because of their uprightness, strong will power and character are eye sores to some politicians and some senior bureaucrat. They like Khemka are transferred from one punishment post to another punishment post and still if they find no change in such functionaries they attach such employees with some office to satisfy their ego where such functionaries get full emoluments without doing any work and I was one of such fortunates who drew full emoluments for almost one third of my service career without doing any work. What is more interesting is that all such orders are issued “In the interest of administration”. How is the health of the administration one can judge from the fact that quite many officers of IAS and KAS Cadre against whome corruption cases are pending are holding highly responsible posts. Quite many officers, long after their retirement are working on extensions, thousands of appointments stand made in different departments just on whims and in some cases even the persons appointed never existed. J&K High Court even had to pass strictures for not transferring a senior officer involved in a corruption case, from the important post which he was holding. Because of personal interest taken by many high ups in this mal-administration, the Supreme Court, more than three decades back, during the course of proceedings in a case, had said “State is the biggest litigant party in India”. This has to be in view of the magnitude of corruption prevailing in our society, disrespect for the Rule of law, projection of self and family interests over the national and human interests by the ruling elite and their shareholders and non- functioning of accountability and transparency mechanism. Not only in the matters of transfers and postings but in almost all matters pertaining to administration only those are the beneficiaries who manage, some or anyhow, to get connected with the power centres and the poor commoner who can not even afford to go the court of law has to be contented with whatever leftover he receives. More interesting part of the story is that when a politician feels that he has absolutely nothing on record for declaring a broken brick as a rare diamond, he sometimes uses another formula in the garb of “In relaxation of rules”.
An employee with character and conviction unbothered about the games of postings and promotions, enjoys this couplet of Sahir Ludhyanvi :-
Hum ne har daur mein Tazlil Sahi hai Leiken
Hum ne har daur ke hathoon ko hina bakhsi hai
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