news details |
|
|
| Who wants fixed tenure? | | DoPT asks J&K Govt to fix two-year tenure for IAS officers; WG suggests others should stay for three years | |
Jammu, June 1:
A rare initiative of administrative reform, the central government directive in keeping fixed tenure of IAS officers in Jammu and Kashmir has taken the entire bureaucratic and political setup in the state by surprise.
There have been recommendations from time to time on formulation of a comprehensive and accountable transfer policy but the order on tenure of IAS officers is something rare of its kind. The state governments always have their own guiding principles on transfers and postings of their employees/officers, however, in case of the All India Services officers serving in the states their tenures are always open ended.
The Department of Personnel and Trainings (DoPT), which deals with the All India Services, has written to the Jammu and Kashmir government to keep the posting tenure of IAS officers fixed for two years. This comes soon after recommendations of the Prime Minister’s Working Group on Good Governance which has suggested a minimum tenure of three years, though no special mention of the IAS officers is made in the report.
Officers say that DoPT’s order on keeping tenure of IAS officers fixed in Jammu and Kashmir is a reprimand on the state government on frequent transfers. However, if the insiders having deep knowledge of top bureaucratic affairs are to be believed, there is another side to this story.
According to top bureaucratic sources, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad himself has managed this directive from the DoPT. The Department of Personnel and Trainings, which deals with the All India Services, comes under the charge of Prime Minister’s Office.
When asked why the Chief Minister would like to have such a directive from the Center which restricts his powers in the matters of transfers and postings at top administrative level, a knowledgeable source quipped, “this will make the Chief Minister more powerful”.
Top sources in the government said that due to coalition pulls and pressures the Chief Minister had to budge on many occasions in shifting officers on whims and fancies of the coalition partners or even from the men of his own party. This left his with a little room to implement the often repeated agenda of transparent administration and efficient work culture.
Only last month, the Chief Minister was faced with in embarrassing situation when an IFS officer expressed his inability to show efficient results due to frequent transfers and uncertainty of tenure. This happened at Katra last month which is believed to have given the Chief Minister some food for thought on putting in place some strict administrative reforms.
A top government officer, who accompanied the Chief Minister at a dinner on Katra last month, told EARLY TIMES, that when Chief Minister wanted to know the reasons for rampant green forest felling in Reasi Division, the incharge Forest Officer left the Chief Minister gasping for answers.
The Officer, source said, informed the Chief Minister that in 28 Forest Divisions across the state no officer has ever completed a minimum tenure of two years. “As far as my division is concerned, I am the fifth officer in two years”, the officer was quoted as telling the Chief Minister.
Now since, the DoPT has directed the Jammu and Kashmir Government to keep the tenure of All India Services fixed for two years, the Chief Minister has the option of weathering the coalition pressure and ensuring some semblance of order in transfers and postings which have been quite rampant ever since the present coalition government took over.
It may be mentioned here that Prime Minister’s Working Group on Good Governance has dealt with seriously the matter of transfers and postings in Jammu and Kashmir. The WG has categorically suggested the government to keep the tenure of officers and officials fixed for three years, particularly in the departments of increased public interface. Now it has to bee keenly watched that how soon government comes up with a comprehensive transfer and posting policy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
