Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 5: In blatant violation of its own transfer policy, the Government has ordered transfers of several Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services (KAS) officers prematurely. In this regard, the Government has conveyed it loud and clear that it is not going to mend its ways despite receiving severe criticism from various quarters for throwing to winds the calendar for the transfers.
As per the State Cabinet Decision No.156/12 dated July 27, 2010, the General Administration Department Vide Order No. 861 dated July 28, 2010 issued transfer policy and made it clear to all the departments that they shall make transfers of Government employees strictly in conformity with the policy.
While fixing calendar for the transfers, the General Administration Department said, “transfers shall ordinarily be ordered in the first month of the financial year—April every year”, adding “the minimum tenure of a Government employee on a post shall be two years and a maximum of three years”.
According to the transfer policy, a Government employee may be transferred even before the completion of minimum tenure if the performance of the employee is found to be below job requirement; if there are grounds for initiating enquiry or disciplinary proceedings against him/her and it is not in public interest or in the interest of administration to allow the employee to continue on a post for a full tenure. While ordering premature transfers, the Government, as per the transfer policy, is required to record the reasons for the same.
“But none of these provisions of the transfer policy were adhered to while ordering transfers and postings of KAS officers vide order No.834-GAD of 2014 dated August 4, 2014”, sources told EXCELSIOR, adding “by mentioning ‘in the interest of the administration’ even those officers, who were otherwise doing justice with their postings, were transferred prematurely thereby putting a question mark on the tall claims of the Government about encouraging honest and dedicated officers”.
Quoting some instances, sources said that KAS officer Hassan Khan, who was yesterday transferred and posted as Project Director, DRDA Leh, was posted as Additional DC Leh in the month of February this year vide Government Order No.190-GAD of 2014 dated February 17, 2014. Within a period of five months, he has been transferred in blatant violation of the transfer policy.
Similarly, Rajesh Kumar Shavan, Regional Director, Survey and Land Records (ex-officio Settlement Officer), Jammu, who was yesterday posted as Deputy Labour Commissioner (Central), has been shifted within a period of 11 months. He was posted as Regional Director, Survey and Land Records vide Government Order No.1402-GAD dated September 30, 2013.
It is pertinent to mention here that Mr Shavan played key role in getting huge chunk of Jammu Development Authority (JDA) land retrieved from the encroachers on the directions of Division Bench of State High Court besides accelerating settlement operation in different parts of Jammu. For doing justice with his posting, he has been transferred prematurely for the obvious reasons.
Nasir Ahmad Naqash, who was yesterday transferred and posted as Special Secretary to Government, Higher Education Department, has been shifted within a period of five months. He was posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner Baramulla vide Government Order No.190-GAD dated February 17, 2014. Even his earlier posting as Regional Director, Survey and Land Records Baramulla was ordered prematurely vide Government Order No.1402 dated September 30, 2013.
Mohammad Harun Malik, who was yesterday posted as Regional Director, Survey and Land Records, Srinagar, vide Government Order No.1402-GAD of September 30, 2013 was posted as Regional Director, Land Records, Anantnag before being relinquished of the post and directed to report to General Administration Department for further posting by another order. As such, he has been shifted thrice within a period of less than one year.
Mohammad Shafiq Chak, who was yesterday transferred from the post of Regional Director, Survey and Land Records Srinagar and posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner Pulwama, has been shifted within a period of 11 months. He was posted as Regional Director in the month of September 2013.
Reyaz Ahmad Wani, who was yesterday posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, was Chief Executive Officer, Tourism Development Authority Pahalgam when he was attached in General Administration Department vide Government Order No.647 of June 17, 2014. He was posted as CEO Tourism Development Authority Pahalgam in September 2013. In this way, he has been shifted thrice within a period of 11 months.
According to the sources, some of the aggrieved officers may go on protest leave as by ordering their premature transfer the Government has demoralized them.
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