LG approval imperative in case of pressing requirements
*Frequent shuffling badly impacts policies, schemes
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 15: To put an end to the practice of ordering frequent transfers/rotation of officials, the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on the directions of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has issued an order fixing specific period during the year for this exercise.
However, in case of pressing requirements, the departments will have to send the transfer proposals to the Lieutenant Governor with substantive grounds for the approval.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Lieutenant Governor recently conveyed his serious concern over the existing system of frequent issuance of transfers/rotation orders of officers/officials by the administrative departments to the Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam.
“There is an urgent requirement to establish a system on the analogy of Transfer Season being followed by some States in the country”, sources said quoting the observations of the Lieutenant Governor, adding “the idea of Transfer Season envisages marking a certain period during the year in which the departments/administration can order the transfer/rotation of officers/officials and avoid unnecessary re-shuffling of administrative set-up in the later part of the year”.
Moreover, the Lieutenant Governor has observed that practice of ordering transfers throughout the year is adversely impacting the implementation of schemes and policies of the Government.
Accordingly, the Chief Secretary held discussion with the Administrative Secretaries two days back on the necessity of containing the practice of issuing transfer orders throughout the year and establish a systematic restraint within their concerned departments.
It was observed in the meeting that Transfer Policy for Government employees notified vide Government Order No.861-GAD of 2010 dated July 28, 2010 provides among other things, the calendar for transfers to be ordered in the financial year.
The Para-B of the Transfer Policy read: “Transfers shall ordinarily be ordered in the first month of the financial year—April excluding the transfer of the teaching staff and transfers to Ladakh. The transfers of teaching staff shall be considered at the close of the academic session and must be avoided during the academic session”.
Now, the Government, as desired by the Lieutenant Governor, has issued directions that the calendar fixed in the Transfer Policy of 2010 shall be mandatorily followed by all the departments while ordering the transfers.
“The notification of the calendar has been made with the intent of ensuring that the transfers are limited to a particular period of the financial year so that minimum dislocations occur during the financial year which would ensure better outcomes in the implementation of various Government schemes and policies”, said the Government order issued by Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, Commissioner/ Secretary General Administration Department.
The Administrative Secretaries have been directed to dissuade their concerned Heads of the Departments from ordering any transfer/rotation proposal on lower levels so that period notified in the Transfer Policy of 2010 is strictly adhered to.
However, it has been made clear that any transfer which is required to be ordered on the administrative grounds beyond the notified calendar shall be effected only with the approval of the Lieutenant Governor. For this, the departments will have to justify the same with substantive grounds.
“The concern of the Lieutenant Governor regarding the frequent transfers/rotation of officials is justified on the ground that official websites of majority of the Government departments generally remain flooded with the transfers and postings orders as compared to other important matters”, sources said.
“Now, it is to be seen how effectively the latest instructions of the Government are implemented by the Administrative Departments as well as Head of the Departments as thrust on strict compliance to the Transfer Policy of 2010 was laid a number of times”, sources further said while disclosing that in the month of January this year the Chief Secretary had asked the Administrative Secretaries to strictly follow the Transfer Policy of 2010.
Besides following the calendar, the Administrative Departments are also required to ensure strict compliance to the provision relating to tenure of postings.
“The minimum tenure for a Government employee on a post shall be two years and a maximum of three years. However, Government can order transfer of employee even before the completion of minimum tenure if it is not in public interest or in the interest of the administration to allow the employee to continue on a post for a full term”, read the policy.
Moreover, in the policy, sufficient thrust has been laid on linking performance of the employees with the transfers, which otherwise receive little attention.
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