Chandigarh, March 11
The Punjab Government is on its way to setting a new record — of issuing a record number of transfers and postings of Class I officers in the shortest span of time. In the past 11 days, it has shifted 220-odd senior functionaries of the state, including IAS , IPS and PPS officers.
Besides it has ordered six promotions in the IAS and five of the IPS officers in the Police Department.
Another list of more than a hundred Provincial Civil Service (PCS) (Executive) officers besides some more IAS and IPS officers is expected before the new Congress Government in the State completes 15 days in office.
Interestingly, a large number of IAS officers, especially Deputy Commissioners, shifted in the first go, are still awaiting their fresh posting orders. It may take some more days for these officers to get their new assignments , sources in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat said today.
The same thing was happening in the Police Department where a large number of district police chiefs — 15 in all — shifted in the first reshuffle in the department, have been given their new postings only today after eight days.
Questions are being asked both in political and administrative circles about justification of keeping officers without posting for a long time.
Among the officers awaiting their posting orders are:
Mr S.K. Sandhu, Mr Jasbir Singh Bir, Mr Kulbir Singh Sidhu, Mr Iqbal Singh Sidhu, Mr R. Venkat Ratnam, Mr Jagjit Singh and Mr K.B.S. Sidhu.
Interestingly, the transfer of 10 Deputy Commissioners ordered on February 28, a day after the new Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, took oath of office and secrecy, was stayed by a couple of days because of a country-wide bandh call given by the Vishva Hindu Parishad in protest against the Godhra incident.
While the new officers have taken up their assignments, the previous incumbents have been waiting in the wings. Only two of them — Deputy Commissioner of Ropar , Mr Gurinder Singh Grewal, and Deputy Commissioner of Kapurthala, Mr Roshan Sunkharia, have been adjusted so far. In case of Mr Babu Lal, there is speculation that his transfer, too, has been stayed because of the countermanding of the Malout Assembly election.
Some of these officers without posting have made rounds of the Civil Secretariat here and met the Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister. The Police Department has witnessed the maximum changes. So far 154 transfers have been ordered so far.
There are some interesting aspects of these transfers. One of central civil services officer was transferred four times in four days. There are atleast three other cases, where officers have been given fresh posting orders more than once in 72 hours. In one case the entire list of seven officers was stayed at the last moment and the next day an amended and expanded list was released. Similarly, some police officers have been transferred twice within 24 hours and a few others within a week.
