Day after cabinet okays transfer policy, Yogi asks officers to consult dept ministers

LUCKNOW A day after the state cabinet approved the transfer policy for 2023, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday asked all the senior officers — including additional chief secretaries and principal secretaries — to strictly enforce the new law and consult their departmental ministers on the issue.

The extra cautiousness comes after large-scale irregularities were reported in the transfers carried out by some of the departments in 2022. In this context, the CM had to intervene to check irregularities. At least, three of his ministerial colleagues — including deputy chief minister Brijesh Pathak — had objected to the way transfers were being ordered.

“The Uttar Pradesh government has announced its transfer policy. This should be strictly enforced. All the additional chief secretaries/principal secretaries should communicate with departmental ministers while ordering transfers in accordance with the transfer policy. There should be no shortage of manpower in the (eight) aspirational districts,” said the CM while presiding over a meeting of senior officers.

The meeting — attended by additional chief secretaries and principal secretaries — was held to review the redressal of public grievances at his residence, according to a press release.

Yogi’s directives assume significance in the backdrop of the situation that unfolded after the 2022 transfer season. Yogi had set up two high-level committees to probe the irregularities in the transfers. One of the two committees investigated the list of public works departments in 2022. Minister for PWD Jitin Prasada’s OSD was shunted out and action was taken against five officers of the department.

Besides PWD, there were reports of irregularities in transfers in several other departments. At least, three ministers — including deputy chief minister Brijesh Pathak — had questioned the transfers carried out by their respective departments. Pathak, who holds the charge of the medical and health department, in a letter sent on July 4, 2022, had questioned his department’s additional chief secretary for irregularities in the transfers. Meanwhile, minister of state for Jal Shakti, Dinesh Khatik, had sent a letter to Union home minister Amit Shah and offered to resign, alleging he was being ignored by his department while ordering the transfers.

In 2019 as well, a row was triggered over the transfers carried out by the stamps and registration department. Yogi had ordered the cancellation of large-scale transfers in the stamps and registration department. Nand Gopal Nandi was its in-charge at the time.

Significantly, Yogi has been concerned about the magnanimity of the challenge that the transfer policy has posed in the state over the years. Addressing the new members of the 18th state legislative assembly (after 2022 assembly polls) at the orientation programme at Tilak Hall on May 21, 2022, Yogi had asked the newly elected MLAs to keep away from transfers. “…Transfer and posting give a bad name. So, you need to distance yourself from them,” Yogi had said.