Hyderabad: The TS Vigilance Commissioner has received a complaint claiming that out-of-turn promotions have been given to motor vehicle inspectors (MVIs). Retired IFS officer M. Padmanabha Reddy, who filed the complaint with the Vigilance Commissioner, alleged: “In the transport department of TS, serious irregularities were committed to help a few individuals to get out of turn promotions, overlooking 50 seniors. We have obtained note file pertaining to this issue by filing Right To Information, and have asked the Vigilance Commission to start a detailed enquiry.”
This issue had actually cropped up in 2011, when the two Telegu states were one, but orders were issued only on February 17, 2016 approving the promotions of three officers from MVI to RTO (regional transport officer).
Two senior ministers of the TS government gave letters of recommendation, and have projected the filling up of the posts as urgent, stating that there are a large number of RTO posts lying vacant.
Two associations of the transport department favoured the promotions and two associations opposed it. “In the note file, in para 35, the matter was twisted and recorded as majority of associations welcome the proposal of the transport commissioner for out of turn promotions. GAD strongly objected to the proposal and asked the transport department how the higher qualification of PG and PhD is useful in performing the duties of an RTO. At this juncture, a mischievous note was put up to mark the file to the Chief Minister through the Chief Secretary and transport minister for orders. When the file reached the Chief Secretary, he took strong objection to the file being marked to him without attending to the issues raised by the GAD,” said the complainant Mr Reddy.
A note was prepared by a section officer in favour of the three individuals, justifying the higher qualification on the grounds that it helps in performing duties. The file was then again marked to the Chief Minister, this time by passing the Chief Secretary.
The CM approved the proposal for amending the Transport Service Rules. “The file went missing in the secretariat. Hurriedly, on top priority basis, another file was reconstructed with available papers. When the rebuilt file was marked, the APPSC took objection to the proposal and returned the file. The file was never again sent to the APPSC,” alleged Mr Reddy.
