'Advisory’ from Chief Minister's Office must before transfers in state

The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) will have absolute discretion in the transfer of government employees in Haryana. In a significant development that will clip the wings of various departments, boards, corporations and universities in ordering 'random' transfers, the Saini government today made ‘transfer advisory’ must before any transfer of government employees.

“No department/board/corporation/university shall transfer any of its Group A, B, C and D employees without the ‘transfer advisory’ from the CMO. On receipt of such ‘transfer advisory’, the transfer order of the employee shall be issued immediately through the Human Resources Management System (HRMS) transfer mode only as entire process of the transfer of the government employees has been brought within the ambit of e-governance,” an order of the Human Resources Department said, threatening disciplinary action against delinquent officers.

The order has come days after CM Nayab Singh Saini virtually rejected the demand for grant of transfer powers to ministers, arguing that the transfer process was online, indicating that there was no need for a relook at the existing online transfer policy.

While a substantial number of departments have adopted the online transfer policy, heads of department, board, corporation and university still wield discretion in the transfers of employees.

With favouritism ruling the roost in transfers, the order will go a long way in checking the ‘arbitrary’ powers of the authorities concerned. Besides, the CMO would now be able to keep a check on the alleged misuse of transfer powers by certain authorities.

On December 26, 2024, the government had issued an order saying that no department, board, corporation and university would order transfers without a prior ‘transfer advisory’ from the CMO. However, these instructions were not complied with in letter and spirit and the transfer orders were being issued at the departmental level without the receipt of ‘transfer advisory’ and without the HRMS transfer module, in violation of the official instructions, an officer said, adding that cases were being sent to the Office of the Chief Secretary for ex-post facto approval.

“Taking a serious note of such defiance, the administrative secretaries have been asked to issue strict directives to the departments/boards/corporations/universities to adhere to the official instructions. No ex-post facto approval of any such transfer issued in breach of the government instructions shall be granted and strict disciplinary action shall be taken against the delinquent officers,” the order asserted.

Meanwhile, the administrative secretaries have been asked to provide the list of such transfer orders issued in breach of government instructions by January 13.