Outside Influence On Transfer & Posting! 

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Believe it or not, 30-40 percent of work at Dispur is related to service issues – mainly transfers and postings. And the situation has been complicated by ‘outside’ (external) influence from ministers, MPs, MLAs and others. Such a rot is glaring in the State administration.

There is a standing office memorandum (ABP.94/84/1) issued on December 3, 1984 regarding representation on service matters. The office memorandum terms ‘outside’ influence as the ‘most objectionable practice’. It has cautioned government servants resorting to outside influence that ‘adverse entry will be recorded in their ACR (annual service records), promotion etc for such practices. But, who cares? As and when an officer or an employee is transferred to a far-flung area in accordance with office rules, ‘outside’ influence keeps coming from ministers, MPs, MLAs and others. Such employees do give representations to ministers, MLAs and even the Chief Minister. And ministers and MLAs also do recommend for staying or modifying such transfers.

On this is vexed issue, a minister said, “Employees often come to us to get their transfer orders stayed or modified. Sometimes, such matters don’t end there. Even MLAs put pressure on us on behalf of officers and employees. When we don’t succumbed to their pressure, some even go to the Chief Minister. Getting arm-twisted, we’ve no way out but to stay or modify such transfer orders. Sometimes, MLAs come to us seeking transfer of some officers to some particular places. For reasons best known to them, the same MLA comes to us after a year or so seeking re-transfer of the officers whom he had got transferred to his desired places. They ‘make us undo’ what ‘made us do’ earlier.”

A senior bureaucrat shared his experience on this issue, “This is a big hurdle for smooth functioning of office works. Departments transfer officers in accordance with office rules. When an officer is transferred prayers from officers’ kin like mother, wife and others are very common to get such transfer orders stayed or modified. Often they come with recommendations from ministers and MLAs.”

The then Chief Secretary AK Palit said in the office memorandum, “Government servants should desist from bringing outside influence to bear upon any superior authority to further their interest in matters pertaining to their conditions of service…Some government servants are in the habit of sending copies of their representations also to outside authorities, i.e., authorities who are not directly concerned with the consideration thereof (e.g. other minister, secretary, Member of Parliament, MLA and others. This is a most objectionable practice, contrary to official propriety and subversive of good discipline and all government servants are expected scrupulously to eschew it… The claim of a government servant that he himself did not ask an MP or MLA or any other person to interact on his behalf will not be accepted and there will be presumption of officers’ involvement in the matter unless the contrary is proved by him. Government servants are cautioned that an adverse entry will be recorded in their ACR…”

However, the ground reality in the State government’s offices is quite the opposite. Will this ailment in the administration get its remedy? What else can get it done unless there’s political will and determination?

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