Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, July 28: In an attempt to break the nexus of Babus at various administrative departments in the Civil Secretariat, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has ordered a major reshuffle in the J&K Secretariat (Subordinate) Service with immediate effect.
In the reshuffle at the level of Section Officers, Head Assistants and Junior Assistants, the General Administration Department (GAD) has ordered transfers of a number of officials , who were staying at one place for more than stipulated period of years.
Sources told the Excelsior that some of these `highly influential’ officials were staying at one place for more than a decade while several others were not transferred from their favourite departments since years for the reasons best known to the concerned authorities.
As per the Government order No. 730-JK(GAD) of 2020, dated 27-07-2020, 26 Section Officers, 23 Head Assistants, one Senior Assistant, 17 Junior Assistants and a few Orderly were transferred and posted with immediate effect. The order further says that all the officials shall be deemed to have been relieved. Besides, the GAD also ordered transfers and postings of four Senior Stenographers and one Daftari, with immediate effect.
Pertinent to mention that as per the Transfer Policy of J&K Government, minimum tenure of a Government employee on a post is two years and maximum of three years. However, in contravention of the Transfer Policy, a number of officials were overstaying at one place for years together and had thus allegedly developed vested interests.
According to the sources, the shuffled officials in the latest Government order included a number of Section Officers, Head Assistants and Junior Assistants who were staying at one place for more than two years and had not been transferred.
One Junior Assistant in Health and Medical Education Department , who has been now shifted to other Department, was not transferred for the last 15 years, sources said and added that an overstaying Head Assistant in the same department has also been transferred after years.
Similarly, One Section Officer has been transferred from Finance Department after five years while two overstaying Section Officers in Board of Professional Entrance Examination (BOPEE) have been shifted to other departments.
Two Head Assistants, overstaying in IT Department and ARI since 2014, have been shifted to other departments while one Junior Assistant in Forest Department has also been transferred after six years. Some Junior Assistants in Social Welfare Department, Housing and Urban Development Department, Estates and other departments, who were continuing at same place since 2015 have been transferred after five years. Similarly, some Junior Assistants in PHE/Jal Shakti and Finance Department have been shifted after four years.
Official sources said that the UT Government has resolved to strictly implement rotation policy for officials and no one will be allowed to stay at one place for more than two years or maximum of three years in exceptional cases.
“This will provide an opportunity to all the officials to work in different departments and thus enhance their knowledge as well as expertise” said a top officer adding that chances of developing vested interests in departments will also reduce with the rotation.
“We shall slowly shift all overstaying officials in time to come,” the officer maintained while hinting at a strict direction in this regard from the top level.
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