BJP wants officers' posting to be decided on basis of eligibility, condemns IPS officer's transfer

New Delhi /Jaisalmer, Aug 4 (ANI): In the recent transfer of Jaisalmer IPS officer for reopening the history sheet against of a local Congress MLA Saleh Mohammad's father, Gazi Fakir, Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday said that the posting of officers should be only considered on the basis of their eligibility and not as per political whims and fancies.

"The good and eligible officers should get a feeling of both safety as well as respect; then only a state can function properly. It shouldn't be so that if the political leaders are happy then even a spoilt officer can continue in the office and if the political leaders are not happy then an eligible officer is also fired," BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

Meanwhile, SP Pankaj Chodhary said in Jaisalmer on Sunday that a government may issue transfer orders at any time and these have to be followed.

"In the process of transfer and posting, the government decides which officer to keep where. When the government sent me here accordingly I joined here as SP. But two days back I got an order from the government that I have to join somewhere else. I am ready for that. There could be many theories and reasons behind it but I don't want to know them," Choudhury said.

However, favouring the transfer of Pankaj Choudhury, Abdullah Fakir, brother of Congress MLA Saleh Mohammad, termed it as a political move. He said that the file has been re-opened intentionally to defame him and the Congress party as the elections is round the corner. "The history sheet case which has been opened is because of some political strategy as the elections are near and it's done to defame us. I say that the federal government should get the issue investigated. The government should also tell the rules and regulations for opening a history sheet," Abdullah said.

According to reports, Choudhary, who was serving as the Jaisalmer Superintendent of Police (SP), was reportedly transferred to a non-field post within 48 hours after he reopened the history-sheet of a local Congress MLA Saleh Mohammad's father, Gazi Fakir. The traders and residents in Jaisalmer have called for a shutdown on Sunday to protest against Choudhary's transfer. Reports state that Ghazi Fakir has been involved in cross-border smuggling and other anti-social activities on the India-Pakistan border since two decades.

Fakir had a history sheet opened against him for the first time on July 31, 1965 but that file went missing in 1984. The history sheet was reopened after six years in 1990 but it was closed in May 2011 by an ASP-rank official when he had been holding charge as SP. (ANI)

Transfers and postings are one of the main sources of corruption in the government.

Depending upon the ability of any post generating kickbacks for the officer, they are sold by the higher officer.

It is also used by the government to punish officers who are honest.

Time and again we have seen honest officers who do their duty shunted to posts which may be called punishment posts.

The classic example was the shifting of Kiran Bedi who dared to tow away Indira Gandhi's car.

There have been hundreds of such cases and only a few gain prominence because the opposition has vested interests and the media high light them.

The SC should do something to stop this malaise too.