The Hindu : Any employee can be shifted anywhere

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Any employee can be shifted anywhere

By R.K. Radhakrishnan

CHENNAI SEPT.16. The rules governing transfer of State Government employees have been amended. The administration has armed itself with powers to transfer any government servant to any department or office, anywhere in the State. The amendment comes in the wake of a high-power panel, set up to review the functioning of employees at the Secretariat here, submitting its recommendations to the Chief Minister on ways of toning up the administration.

The Governor notified the amendment to the General Rules (Part 2 of the Tamil Nadu State and Subordinate Service Rules in Volume 1 of the Tamil Nadu Services Manual, 1987) yesterday.

A new Rule 40-A, inserted in the transfer rules, states: "Notwithstanding anything contained in these rules or in the Special Rules or ad hoc rules, the State Government may, in the public interest, transfer a government servant from one category or class of service to another category or class of another service on administrative grounds: Provided that the servant so transferred shall possess the requisite qualification and hold an analogous post in the new service, to which he or she is transferred, with protection of pay and conditions of service attached to the post at the time of transfer."

Employees in the Secretariat say the amendment was aimed at them. Till now, only the employees in the seat of State power cannot be transferred, according to the service rules. The amendment now makes it possible for transferring these employees.

A section of employees feels that the rule is only meant to "intimidate" them and will probably not be used to transfer them en masse out of the Secretariat. But they were worried that middle level bureaucrats could use the provision to transfer out those they were not happy with.

But not all share this view. One officer said that right now there was no way of punishing an "erring" employee; nor was there anyway of rewarding a "performer". Hence, this rule was a step in the right direction and would make the administration "more responsive". Now responsibilities could be fixed and staff at all levels held accountable for their acts of omission and commission.

Also, the best part of the deal — according to a few officials — was that this offered many efficient employees an opportunity to be transferred to the Secretariat, which now had a fixed pool and which they could not enter. "There are advantages and disadvantages, but it offers a window of opportunity to efficient employees," a senior official reasoned. But the employees were concerned at the possibility it offered "for victimisation".

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