The BJP in Karnataka has lashed out at Public Works Department MInister HD Revanna, the older brother of Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, for transferring as many as 700 department engineers across ranks in one go. On Saturday, the minister had ordered the transfers, much to the dismay of the staff as it is difficult to relocate in the middle of the year.
This came after Revanna had already affected two mass transfers since taking charge as minister in June. Within days of becoming PWD Minister, he moved 20 senior engineers of the Water Resources Department, led by minister DK Shivakumar, leading to friction between the coalition partners, Congress and JD(S). In July, another 200 engineers mostly of the assistant engineers were transferred within the state.
Now, the transferred officials include 10 superintendent engineers, 20 executive engineers, 200 assistant executive engineers, 191 assistant engineers and 150 junior assistants
Reacting to this, Chikkamagaluru MLA and BJP’s Karnataka General Secretary CT Ravi called this is “Tughlaq’s durbar” by the “Super CM”, which “will damage the morale of officers resulting in the collapse of the already paralysed administration”.
Its October and the "Unholy Alliance Government" transfers nearly 700 Engineers overnight allegedly on the orders of Super CM H D Revanna.
— C.T.Ravi (@CTRavi_BJP) October 1, 2018
This kind of "Tughlaq Durbar" will damage the morale of Officers resulting in the collapse of the already paralysed Administration.
A mid-level engineer, who was working in the north division in Dharwad and now has been told to report to the Urban Development Department without a posting, is unsure about his next step. “I do not know where my next posting will be. Based on that, I have to find a house and then shift along with my family accordingly. I do not know what exactly to do about changing schools in the middle of the year,” he said, on the condition of anonymity.
He added, “We cannot say that any political party is better than the other. When they are in the Opposition, they will raise issues for their political gains, but we know transfers are made according to minister’s wishes.”
According to a 2013 notification under the Karnataka Civil Service (Conduct) Rules, transfer orders cannot be issued beyond June. Media reports suggested that while the CM, holding the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, had stalled transfers in other departments, this decision has his approval. In its defence, sources in the CM’s office claimed the transfers could not be affected earlier due to the recently held Urban Local Body polls.
In another incident, an existing list of seniority has been ignored by the Department Promotion Committee on the insistence of the minister. In fact, few officers had approached the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal for the same.