The Hindu : Other States / Madhya Pradesh News : Party calls the shots in transfers, postings

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 01, 2004

Other States

Other States - Madhya Pradesh

Party calls the shots in transfers, postings

By Lalit Shastri

BHOPAL, AUG. 31 . Since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in Madhya Pradesh in December last year, the State Government's administrative machinery appears to have been excessively politicised as ruling party MLAs and organisational functionaries now have a direct say when it comes to transfers and postings of government officers and employees.

Within the BJP rank and file, there has been general consensus that there should be absolute coordination between the State Government and the ruling party organisation. During the former Chief Minister, Uma Bharti's short tenure in office a system had been created under which block and district level coordination committees were formed and the Ministers in-charge of districts given the task of ensuring maximum coordination between the State Government and these committees, representing the "hopes and aspirations of the party cadres".

The coordination machinery of the BJP has the maximum say when it comes to transfers and posting of Government officers and employees at all levels. A senior State Government functionary heading an important revenue earning department told this correspondent on condition of anonymity that the established system of tours and inspections was very helpful earlier in assessing the performance of officers posted in the field. With inputs derived from this exercise, the supervisory level officers could send proposals to the Government for transferring certain officers on administrative grounds. This mechanism was largely responsible for ensuring administrative efficiency and discipline, he said, adding that with the BJP's coordination machinery now in place, the Government machinery has been politicised at the cost of administrative efficiency.

He said that under the present dispensation, proposals to transfer officers on disciplinary grounds mostly end up in the dust-bin and the same officers succeed in procuring even more "lucrative" assignments if they are able to develop links with the powerful ruling party MLAs and other functionaries. This, more or less, has become the order of the day, he added.

The large-scale shuffling and transfers of Government officers at all levels during the last eight months has baffled the bureaucracy and this is one issue that gets discussed the most in Government circles here. The BJP's obsession with transfers and postings is reflected in the State BJP president, Kailash Joshi's emphasis that there is need to ensure greater coordination between the Government and the ruling party organisation. Talking to this correspondent this past weekend, he said that there had been some concern in a section of party workers as some transfers and postings had been ordered that did not comply fully with the proposals forwarded by the coordination committees to the State Government.

A senior police officer said that State Government officers were getting demoralised due to lack of say in matters concerning "who should work where" and also because of increasing clout of politicians in day-to-day administrative matters. Another serious problem got highlighted a few days back when the new Cabinet was to be sworn-in. When an MLA, who was to take oath, could not be recognized by the security personnel at the Raj Bhawan gates, he became arrogant, abusive and intolerant. Those present were shocked by the manner in which the senior police and district officers were abused by this MLA right in front of their subordinates and the public, the Police officer said, adding "if such tendencies are allowed to continue, the morale of the officers is bound to suffer."

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