*HC yet to be given info on ‘invalid’ degrees
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 24: Transfer Policy of the State Government is being flouted with impunity by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics with the sole objective of giving choice postings to the ‘blue-eyed’ officers and officials that too right under the nose of the Planning, Development and Monitoring Department. Moreover, the Directorate has failed to furnish the list of the appointments made during the last 20 years by considering the ‘invalid’ degrees obtained from study centres of various universities to the High Court.
As per the Transfer Policy of the State Government, the minimum tenure of a Government employee on a post shall be two years and a maximum of three years. The transfer orders once issued must be strictly complied with and if it is considered that any order requires modification for some compelling reason, it shall be done only after obtaining approval of the next higher authority.
Moreover, the Transfer Policy explicitly states that 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, there is no taker of Transfer Policy of the Government in the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, which is not only making pre-mature transfers of blue-eyed officers and officials but also making modifications as frequently as three times within a short span of 10 days without any reasonable ground”, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
Quoting some recent instances of blatant violation of Transfer Policy, sources said that vide Order No.608-DES dated November 16, 2016, Director General of Economics and Statistics Department Riyaz Ahmed Banday ordered transfer and posting of three Statistical Officers with immediate effect and made interest of the administration as ground behind the same.
Vide this order Subash Chander Abrol was shifted from the office of Mission Director, ICDS Social Welfare Department Jammu and posted in Block Development Office Khour Jammu against available post of Statistical Officer. Similarly, Rajni Katal, who was attached in the office of Regional Joint Director Office, Jammu was posted in the office of Mission Director, ICDS Social Welfare Department Jammu vice Subash Chander Abrol.
However, on November 21, the Director General Economics and Statistics again issued order No.625-DES mentioning that in the interest of administration three Statistical Officers have been transferred with immediate effect.
Vide this order, Rajni Katal, who was shifted to office of Mission Director ICDS Social Welfare Department Jammu vide order dated November 16 was shown as transferred to the office of Chief Education Officer, Jammu.
On the very next day—November 22, the Director General Economics and Statistics issued one more order No.627-DES whereby Rajni Katal was shown as transferred to the office of Chief Engineer (M&RE) Jammu against an available post of Statistical Officer.
How the transfer of one Statistical Officer thrice in a short span of one week can be justified? sources asked, adding “there are numerous other instances which clearly establish that Transfer Policy is only meant for those officers and officials of the Economics and Statistics Department who don’t have any link with the bureaucrats or politicians or are not in the good books of the Director General Riyaz Ahmed Banday”.
Interestingly, none of these three transfer orders have been posted on the website of the Economics and Statistics Department while as other orders issued during this period are available for access by anybody. Moreover, another order issued on November 22 that too regarding transfer of three other Statistical Officers is available on the website but not the one whereby ‘blue-eyed’ SOs were given choice postings.
“What interest of the administration the Director General has served by issuing three different orders modifying each other to give choice posting to particular SOs”, sources further asked, adding “it seems that Planning, Development and Monitoring Department, which has administrative control over Directorate of Economics and Statistics, has either been kept in dark by the Director General or those at the helm of affairs in the department have intentionally shut eyes towards the blatant violation of the Transfer Policy”.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Economics and Statistics has failed to furnish the information regarding degrees of appointees for the last 20 years obtained through study centres despite explicit directions from the State High Court.
The High Court had sought this information after an employee of the Economics and Statistics Department made confession about purchasing degree certificates for the appointment. He had admitted that he had obtained his Post Graduation in Economics against the huge payment given to Manav Bharti University.
On October 19, the High Court had granted four weeks time to the State for furnishing this information but the Directorate of Economics and Statistics has yet not collected the required details till date, sources said.
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