Disobedient IRS – angry FM

By Vijay Kumar

Transferred officers are not always keen to leave their places. It takes a lot of pressure to really get an officer to move (unless the transfer is to his liking in which case he will leave everything and catch the first flight out). Transfer orders issued by the Board after approval by the Hon’ble FM receive scant respect in the field. The first reaction is to shoot off a representation for retention for a few months if not a few years. All the orders contain instructions like,

All the officers should be relieved immediately and should join at their new place of posting on or before xxxxxx under intimation to the Board. No representation whatsoever will be entertained before the officers join at their new places of posting. The Chief Commissioner will be personally responsible to send compliance reports regarding relieving and joining of the above officers to the Board by xxxxx.

But what happens if the Chief Commissioner himself violates this? Sometime back we had reported about a newly promoted Chief Commissioner refusing to leave his old Commissioner’s office. A Commissioner told us that the poor Chief Commissioner was innocent; it was the Board which asked him to continue in his old place. Obviously there is no respect for transfer orders, but the FM is not amused. So he has ordered that:-

(i) The AGT was effected in May this year. A number of representations received from officers against their transfers have been considered by the respective Placement Committees and disposed off by Government. The receipt of representation and their consideration cannot be a never ending process. Accordingly, no further representation on transfers effected under AGT 2006 may be entertained or considered hereafter.

(ii) All officers who have been transferred under AGT-2006 will be relieved by their respective controlling officers not later than 31st August, 2006. The controlling officer will send compliance reports accordingly to the Board positively by 1st September, 2006.

(iii) If the officers are not relieved by the stipulated date, disciplinary action will be taken both against the controlling officers and the officers concerned.( please note this is officers concerned and not concerned officers)

(iv) No leave should be sanctioned to such officers who are under order of transfer. Leave in such cases can only be sanctioned by the Board on very specific grounds. In case leave sought on medical grounds, reference to a panel of Government doctors should be made.

Obviously the Board knows that even these instructions may not be seriously considered by the officers. So they have informed that the FM will be informed by 05.09.2006 about the compliance.

If senior officers show so much contempt for transfer orders issued by the highest authority, how can they expect obedience from their subordinates?

Board’s F.No.A.22011/8/2006-Ad.II(Pt.) dated 21st August, 2006