Hyderabad: Cantonment Board employees do not have inter-state transfers, except for the chief executive officer and senior officers. Experts say that absence of transfers might lead to corruption and negligence among officials who occupy the same posts for years.
The board has submitted a representation to defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman regarding the transfer policy, that it should be implemented on a par with the central government.
When MPs and vice-presidents of all cantonments represented their problems with the defence minister on May 4, the change of transfer policy was one of the major issues that figured in the discussion.
“The cantonment is the only department that does not have transfers. We had submitted our representation to the defence ministry regarding implementation of a new transfer policy. The Directorate General of Defence Estates (DGDE) also recommended this change through the proper channel. The ministry has yet to take a call on the issue,” said SCB vice-president J. Rama Krishna.
Mr Rama Krishna said the staff comes under the ‘cantonment fund employees’, which was prepared for the basic needs of the army personnel.
In the early 1900s, only local views were taken into consideration while not consider the broader national perspective, and the practice has stayed unchanged.
If there is any complaint, the employee is moved from one ward to another or from one department to another within the same premises.
“Transfers should be there in any organisation as it increase the working capacity of the employees. The new work atmosphere rejuvenates them and breaks the monotony. There are also chances that stagnation at a single place might lead to corruption and misuse of power,” said Telangana Employees Union president A. Padmachari.
