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Journalism of Courage
NEW DELHI, March 28: Unhappy with the spate of transfer orders thrust upon them by their political masters’, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has framed a special proposal on transfers. The MCD hopes to implement it from April 1. In the past 20 days, more than 200 employees have been transferred because of political pressure from the city’s elected representatives. The problem is further compounded as every politician wants to corner posts in the few so-called lucrative’ MCD departments.
Unable to cope with this constant pressure, the MCD has framed a special proposal on transfers to restore some semblance of order. The proposal will soon be put before the MCD’s Appointments Committee for approval.
As per the proposal, the MCD has divided its departments into two – sensitive’ and non-sensitive’. The proposal states that officials and karamcharis posted in the sensitive departments will be transferred after every two years, while those posted in the non-sensitive departments will be transferred after every three years.
The departments included in the sensitive list are – Property Tax, Licensing, Factory Licensing, Engineering, Education, Purchase, Land and Estate and the Establishment department. The list of non-sensitive departments comprises the Hindi Department, Managing Cedll, Conservancy and Sanitation Engineering, Nigam Bodh Ghat and the department which catches stray animals.
Admitting that the proposal had been drafted to stop the large-scale transfers, R.S. Sethi, Additional Commissioner (Revenue) said: “We are forwarding it to the Appointments Committee for approval. If they give us the go-ahead, then we shall implement it from April 1.” The proposal also suggests that transfers should not be carried out throughout the year. Sethi said that if implemented, the proposal would limit transfers to the months of April, May and June.
Moreover, Sethi said that the proposal states that all officials will not be transferred at the same time. “If required, experienced and honest officers would be allowed to function for more than the stipulated period, even if they are posted in sensitive departments. Transfers will be carried out in such a way that an experienced officer can explain the functioning of the department before handing over responsibility to the new officers,” he said.
Apparently, a similar proposal was framed in 1964 also but could not be implemented. Municipal Commissioner V.K. Duggal has already approved the proposal. Now its up to the Appointments Committee to clear it.
