According to orders issued by the railway board, those using tactics to delay or evade transfers will be debarred from promotions for a minimum of one year
The railway board has indicated that if a railway officer delays or tries to evade transfer orders on promotion will now result in losing their seniority.
A comprehensive transfer policy issued by the railways in 2015 states that the controlling officer will ensure that the officer transferred is relieved within a maximum period of one month. According to orders issued by the board, those using such tactics will be debarred from such promotions for a minimum of one year.
However, the board said officers who are transferred from one zone or unit to the other on promotion often fail to comply with the orders within the stipulated time frame. "They do not carry out the orders within the stipulated period and try to evade or delay the process by citing one reason or the other," the board said.
This, it said, causes a lot of "administrative difficulties" not only for the railway unit/zone where the officers continue to remain even after the issue of transfer orders, but also where he is transferred.
The board in an August 29 order said the decision was taken to "curb the rising tendency among officers" of not complying with their transfer or promotion orders.
"If an officer does not comply with his/her transfer or promotion within the stipulated period, it may be treated as refusal for promotion and may render the officer liable for debarment from such promotion for a minimum period of one year," the board said.
The railways' order comes amidst cases of officers trying to wriggle their way out of tough or uncomfortable postings, sources said. While the Central Civil Services (CCS) rules govern all civil servants, each cadre has its own set of rules for transfer and promotions within the cadre. The CCS rules stipulate the time frame in which officers need to join their new post according to the distance of the new posting to the old one.
Not joining within the stipulated time could lead to barring of the officer for future and foreign postings for as long as five years.
Different cadres, however, have the power to enforce rules they seem fit for transfer of officers within it.
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