The Union Government has decided to wield the stick against IAS and IPS officers of the joint AGMUT cadre (formerly Union Territory cadre) who resist transfer to areas considered tough postings.
This is evident from the revised guidelines for transfer/posting of officials of the cadre that caters to three States – Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and the UTs, viz., Andaman & Niocobar (A&N) Islands, Chandigarh, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Delhi, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.
These States and UTs are classified into three categories: A – Delhi; B – “Soft” areas comprising Goa, Chandigarh, Puducherry, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli; and C – comprising Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep.
Listing disincentives, the six-page policy says: “An officer would not be considered for promotion to the pay scales above the Senior-time scale unless he/she has completed the allotted tenure as per policy.”
The Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (MPPGP) would also not consider any official for central deputation, training course or assignment abroad, or study leave of any kind unless he/she has served for at least three years in Category C areas. This may, however, be downgraded to two years in case of IAS/IPS officials in super time scale/IGP grade respectively.
The guidelines also intend to tag officials who seek revisions in transfer orders on health grounds.
The guidelines say that “Medical certificate furnished by an officer in order to seek his transfer or cancellation of transfer, on medical grounds would be placed in his ACR (Annual Confidential Report) dossier and a note to that effect will be made in the column relating to State of Health in the ACR of the relevant period.”
The MPPGP has decided that transfer orders once issued after due consideration will be strictly enforced. “Disciplinary action may be initiated against those officers who bring extraneous pressures for cancellation of the transfer orders. Moreover, in each case, a record shall be kept in the ACR dossier of the officer concerned to this effect.”
The government hopes the revised norms will ensure that no unit serviced by the cadres remains starved of cadre officers and that the responsibility of serving in places outside Delhi and in both “hard” and “soft” areas is shared among the officers equitably.
The revision in the guidelines was necessitated by the fact that the ordered movement of some officers from Delhi/ soft areas to hard areas tendered to remain unimplemented or, as in the case of most officers, implemented after a considerable period.
This, inter alia, affected legitimate movement of officers from hard areas to Delhi on completion of their tenure.
It was also realized that transfer orders of officers to Delhi, especially those promoted to IAS/IPS belonging to home segment viz. Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram tended to remain unimplemented or implemented after a considerable lapse of time.
The revised guidelines have also factored in recent developments such as cadre review of both IAS and IPS.
Under the new transfer policy, the posting of Chief Secretary/Administrator and the seniormost police officer in the State/UT may be decided with the approval of the Home Minister.
The transfer and posting of the officers may be decided at the level of Home Secretary except in the case of junior-scale officers, whose transfer and posting may be decided by the Joint Secretary (UT).
A list of officers in each scale may be prepared on the basis of the total period they have spent in and outside Delhi in category ‘B’ and ‘C’ States/UTs and those who have done the least tenure in hard areas. Most of those in Delhi should be transferred first to the outlying units.
Officers’ whose retirement is due within two years may not be posted in the outlying segments. However, at the request of the officer, his transfer to an outlying constituent may be permitted even on the verge of retirement.
The revised policy stipulates: “An officer functioning as Resident Commissioner and based in Delhi for every administrative duty of the constituent Government would be treated as if he is on a Delhi posting.”
