Most officers in the civil bureaucracy are dispirited over frequent transfers under the rotation policy which keeps them dependent on politicians for postings, hence compromising their political neutrality.
The Punjab government Rules of Business 2011 clearly mentioned the tenure for various posts: four years for chief secretary and additional chief secretary, three years for secretaries, special secretaries, additional secretaries, deputy secretaries, department heads, commissioners, DCOs, EDOs and section officers, and five years for principals of medical and dental colleges.
However, a cursory glance at the Punjab government’s transfer history reveals widespread policy violation by those at the helm.
“The caretaker government transferred the entire bureaucracy from the chief secretary down to the assistant commissioners to ensure free and fair polls. Then, as soon as the new government was sworn in it started reshuffling the entire provincial bureaucracy. Such transfers are mostly politically motivated, for example, the transfers of two commissioners of important divisions recently,” told an official on condition of anonymity.
Such politically motivated transfers are most common amongst junior and mid-career section officers, deputy and additional secretaries, who desire moving to a “field” considered more “influential”.
“The influential officers disturb the rotation policy. Factors such as money, distance from home and one’s clientele give rise to developing politico-bureaucratic connections for procuring lucrative postings. In certain cases, this has even led to junior officers getting their bosses transferred, only because they had the right connections,” another officer who also chose to remain anonymous revealed.
Further, in addition to such transfers being a technical and administrative violation, the transferred officers face the inconvenience of shift cities along with their families after short intervals, costing both the officers and the government dearly.
According to the rules, the government must pay a transfer allowance to each officer every time he/she is transferred, with the allowance amount increasing if the officer has a family and has to shift his/her house. Sources revealed that the recent spate of transfers cost the provincial kitty Rs 80 million.
Moreover, frequent shifting also has negative psychological effects for the officers and their families, “I have three kids and have been transferred 10 times in 10 years. Every time I am posted to a new city, it means new registration fees for my kids’ schools and other expenses which are not covered by the government. Plus, we have to cope with the feeling of a constant unsettled life,” a Population Welfare Department officer revealed on condition of anonymity.
Further, various officers from services including the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and the Provincial Management Service (PMS) affirmed the adverse affects of frequent transfers. “Frequent transfers are very problematic. Because of this, officers are busy obliging politicians and building the “right” connections instead of focusing on their work. They know that networking and not the quality of their work can get them their desired posting,” an additional secretary said on condition of anonymity.
Thus, many in the bureaucracy remain dependent on political favours for managing their transfers, which compromises their professional integrity and political neutrality, which have always been lauded as the hallmark of Pakistan’s civil services.
However, Services Secretary Syed Mubashar Raza said that the tenure durations mentioned in the rules were subject to the “chief minister’s discretion” and can be granted on “preference.”
“Often, transfers are essential to increase the exposure of an officer and thus he is given many postings for his/her own benefit. Besides, the tenure for secretaries in the province is quite good,” he said.
To a question on the many transfers conducted against the rotation policy, he said that the administrative requirement and slot availability of slot also at times demanded that officers be transferred.
