Babus nearing retirement can’t take major decisions

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 19

The BJP-JJP government has clipped the wings of senior bureaucrats, including IAS and HCS officers, at level of administrative secretaries and heads of departments (HoDs) on the verge of retirement. Now, they will not able to take any policy decision, including financial, two months prior to their retirement.

To stop misuse of position

• Retiring administrative secretaries/HoDs not to take major decisions two months prior to their retirement.
• Decision taken to stop outgoing senior officers from misusing their positions just before superannuation.
• Secretaries to take prior approval from Chief Secretary for any major decision

Apparently acting on complaints of the misuse of authority by senior officers just before their superannuation, state’s Chief Secretary Vijai Vardhan today issued orders barring these officers from taking any major decisions.

It was highlighted that the officers at the level of administrative secretary/HoDs had been issuing orders relating to appointments, promotions, transfers, tenders purchases and disciplinary matters “which do not pass the muster in terms of integrity, transparency, probity and impartiality” during two months prior to their retirement.

The posts of administrative secretaries are usually manned by senior IAS officers while the posts of the HoDs are either manned by HCS officers or senior technocrats.

“Such actions have invited complaints of financial irregularities, loss to the state exchequer, appointment of undeserving persons, nepotism and favouritism tarnishing the image of the state government,” the order asserted.

Now, the “outgoing” administrative secretaries will submit such cases to the Chief Secretary for prior approval while the HoDs will submit these cases to the next competent authority.

To strictly enforce these orders, disciplinary action under the Haryana Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 2016, had been envisaged against those violating the government orders.