Government power of Transfers and Posting should be curtailed

India Against Corruption

Dear Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sishodia, Prashant Bhushan and others,

You have seen how Haryana government has transferred Ashok Khemka who blew the whistle of Vadra’s shady dealing.

Earlier we had seen in Bengal Kolkata police crime wing's first woman chief Damayanti Sen, the IPS officer who punctured Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's claims and cracked the Park Street rape case, was transferred to a relatively low profile posting.

Still much earlier, you remember how Kiran Bedi was transferred because she dared to lift Indira Gandhi’s car because it was wrongly parked.

In all the above cases, officers have been transferred because they did their duty which was not to the liking of their bosses.

In all the above cases the government came back with the standard statement that these were routine transfers, which is the prerogative of the government. However, we all know that these transfers were to punish honest officers who were doing their duty.

One of the reasons of corruption in India is the governmentuses this as a carrot to please those who toe their line and a stick for those who don’t. It also generates corruption as officers are made to pay large sums of money to get transfers as per their desire where they can earn good money.

As a crusader against corruption, I suggest you approach the Supreme Court to review or curtail this power of government to transfer as they want. Ashok Khemka has been transferred 43 times in the last 19 years. That means more than twice a year.

If I understand correctly an employee in any government can be transferred after three years posting in any place. Then how has Mr. Khemka been transferred more than twice a year. Is it because of his honesty and strictness?

All young men when they join any service are idealistic and want to do something for the country. However, when they see the rot surrounding them they have two choices. Either they remain with their ideals and get transferred every six months or they become part of the system and reap the benefits.

There are thousands of cases all over India where honest people have been transferred and punished for their honesty.If you just put out an ad for the cases, you will get those cases for your record. Some have even been murdered like Satyendra Dubey] (1973 - 27 November 2003) a project director at the National Highways Authority of India. He was murdered at the age of 30 in Gaya, Bihar after fighting corruption in the Golden Quadrilateral highway construction project .

You your selves are aware of the number of RTI people who have been killed for asking uneasy questions and raising their voices.

Ashok Khemka’s case is a good example where you can take a stand and approach the Supreme Court to curtail the power of the government in transfers and posting and make it more transparent. The government should be prevented from transferring honest officers before the expiry of three years. Further, if the people of the area so demand, the posting of the officer could be enhanced for another three years.

Thankfully I have never worked for the government as when I passed from college I was given the impression all its employees were all crooks. I now realize that most of them are honest. It is around 20 % with the active support of the politicians who give a bad name to government employees. Left to themselves, they would work honestly.

I would once again appeal to you all to curtail this transfer and posting power of the government.

Best regards,

Radheshyam Sharma

The above is a letter I have written to India Against Corruption.

I would request that this is passed on all over India so that the Power of the Government in transfers and Postings are curtailed.