Govt eroding sanctity of Cabinet, ordering frequent transfers without its approval

Resentment among bureaucrats over violations of Transfer Policy
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 29: In a clear departure from the set convention, the PDP-BJP Coalition Government has ordered large scale transfers and postings of IAS, IPS and Senior KAS officers in a short span of nine months without taking into confidence the State Cabinet thereby eroding the sanctity of the highest decision making body. Astonishingly, majority of the officers covered under these orders were not allowed to complete the tenure fixed under the Transfer Policy and shifted from one department to another as per the whims and fancies of the Ministers and other politicians.
Moreover, none of the departments of the State Government has been spared while under-mining the authority of the Cabinet as well as violating the Transfer Policy, which otherwise had been approved by the Cabinet itself. Due to this, strong resentment is brewing among majority of the IAS, IPS and KAS officers except those who have been getting the choicest places of postings due to political patronage and this will not auger well for the State.
The State Cabinet vide its Decision No.156/12/2010 dated July 27, 2010 put seal of approval on the Transfer Policy and in order to give practical shape to this decision the General Administration Department vide Government Order No.861-GAD dated July 28, 2010 notified the Transfer Policy.
“In supersession of all the previous orders and circular instructions on the subject, it is hereby ordered that the departments shall make transfers of Government employees strictly in conformity with the Transfer Policy”, read the order dated July 27, 2010.
In the Transfer Policy, the calendar for transfers, tenure of postings and powers have been delegated for making transfers and postings of officers of different level. The Policy states that the minimum tenure of a Government employee on a post shall be two years and a maximum of three years and the maximum tenure of posting in respect of important projects which are required to be completed in a time bound manner may be extended up to five years if continuation of any officer is considered necessary.
“Premature transfers wherever unavoidable in the interest of administration shall be ordered with the prior approval of the competent authority for the reasons to be recorded”, the Transfer Policy reads. “The officers of the level of Secretaries to Government and above, Divisional Commissioners, IGPs, DIGs, Heads of the Departments, Managing Directors of the Public Sector Undertakings, Deputy Commissioners and SSPs and equivalent shall be ordered by the Cabinet”, the Policy further states.
However, a detailed exercise carried out by the EXCELSIOR revealed that during the period between January 1, 2017 and September 29, 2017 (nine months), the Government has ordered transfers and postings of only 24 IAS and 21 KAS officers with the approval of the State Cabinet while as 41 IAS and 305 KAS officers including Secretaries to Government and above, HoDs, Managing Directors of PSUs, Deputy Commissioners and SSPs have been transferred without the approval of the Cabinet.
Ironically, Administrative Secretaries and HoDs of several key departments have been replaced within months that too without the approval of the Cabinet thereby making mockery of the Transfer Policy duly approved by the highest decision making body of the State. What to talk of Administrative Secretaries and HoDs, even frequent transfers of Deputy Commissioners that too without keeping Cabinet in confidence have become a routine in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Transfer Policy also states that the orders once issued must be strictly complied with and reversal of transfer orders once made must be a very rare event and to be resorted to only in exceptional cases for which reasons shall be recorded in writing.
However, the General Administration Department has issued numerous orders which clearly establish that this provision is being flouted with impunity. “Large number of transfer orders issued during the past nine months were modified within days due to the pressure from the Ministers or influential politicians belonging to both the ruling parties”, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
Similarly, the Home Department has issued several orders of transfers and postings of officers of the rank of SSPs and above during the past nine months despite the fact that this is purely the mandate of the State Cabinet as elaborately defined in the Transfer Policy, sources said while pointing towards the transfers of 67 SSPs and SPs made by the Home Department yesterday.
“In each and every order issued in violation of Transfer Policy and without the approval of State Cabinet it has been mentioned that transfers are made in the interest of administration but it is not understandable as to how the interest of administration can be watched by ordering frequent transfers, which only hamper the functioning of the concerned department”, sources said.
“In several cases officers were shifted from one department to another well before they understand the schemes and programmes aimed at ensuring development of the State and ameliorating the grievances of the people”, they further said while disclosing that a strong resentment is brewing among majority of the IAS, IPS and KAS officers except those who have been getting the choicest places of postings due to political patronage and it will not auger well for the State if the prevailing situation is allowed to continue.
They further said, “either the Government should scrap the Transfer Policy or ensure its strict compliance by all the departments including General Administration and Home Departments”.

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