Lambasted at the statement of former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal that large-scale transfers of government employees in the past six months has demoralised them, two ministers of Virbhadra Singh government, Sujan Singh Pathania and Prakash Chaudhary have denounced it and alleged that Dhumal’s statement reflected his feeble and frustrated mental state after the humiliating defeat of the BJP in the Mandi by-poll.
In a joint statement, cabinet ministers blamed Dhumal for trying to gain politically and if he was really keen for such law, he should have put a complete ban on transfers when he was in power, but instead thousands of employees were transferred and victimised on political grounds, ministers remarked.
Ministers said that while in power his government had ordered the transfer of thousands of employees who were victimised on political considerations. They said that only a few transfers in the state were being done on administrative grounds and in public interest. They reminded the BJP leaders that there were large-scale transfers during their regime and many posts were kept vacant in the field and difficult places.
They justified the transfer to strike a balance and gear up the functioning in the field as some places are overstaffed while in remote and rural areas there are too many vacancies. On transfers, the ministers clarified that the government has tried to provide succour to the employees who had been victimised by the previous BJP government.
They said that the cabinet on its recent meeting has approved a new transfer policy, which the BJP government has failed to frame in its five-year tenure, which spoke of the concern and commitment of the government towards its employees. Ministers added that the government has also taken a major decision to revive the state administrative tribunal which would go a long way in providing relief to the employees.
