Two officers in same dept for 34 years,Even Transfers are Governed by the Rotational Transfer Policy

New Delhi: Several officials across central ministries have been spending unusually long periods in the same departments, thanks to political and bureaucratic patronage. Some of these have taken bizarre proportions, with at least two section officers in the ministry of corporate affairs being there since 1977, for almost 34 years. 

    According to last available communications, the ministry top brass was still trying to ensure that both remained there. Details also show that at least 35 under-secretaries have been in the same ministry for over 16 years. Central ministries and departments are mainly run by Central Secretariat Service personnel, whose transfers are governed by the Rotational Transfer Policy, to ensure officials do not overstay in the same ministry and develop vested interests. 
    According to details provided to RTI activist Dev Ashish Bhattacharya, department of personnel and training said on February 7 that it has been “issuing orders for transfer of under-secretaries who have remained in a ministry/department for more than the prescribed tenure. However, due to practical difficulties, this department has not been able to fully implement the rotational transfer policy”. 
    The department on January 25 issued an order for 35 under-secretaries who were in the same department for over 16 years. Rules governing Central Secretariat Service say any officer has to be posted out of the department where he is promoted immediately on promotion. The exception is if the officer has less than two years of service left. The combined tenure of CSS officers in a particular department is 5 years as under-secretary, deputy secretary and director. 
    For those below that, i.e. section officer or assistants, the combined tenure cannot be more than seven years in the same department. But if promotion happens in between, the person has to move out.