A day after announcing that minister-in-charge would be competent to effect transfer of Class I and II officers in the State, the Manohar lal Khattar Government in Haryana on Tuesday took a U-turn on the decision, giving the power of transfers to the Chief Minister again.
The state Chief Secretary’s office issued an order in this regard on Tuesday.
“The State Government has now decided that transfer orders of Class I and II officers are to be issued with the approval of Chief Minister. Therefore, it is reiterated that transfer order of Class I and II officers are to be issued only with the approval of Chief Minister,” stated the orders issued to all the Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Heads of Department, Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners and Chief Administrators.
However, in case of class III and IV officials, the Ministers can still effect transfers only except teaching staff of Education Department.
Haryana Government had earlier on April 21 issued orders giving transfer powers of Class I and II officers to the Minister-in-charge of the respective departments upto May 15.
An official press statement was also issued on Monday stating that Minister-in-charge would be competent to effect transfer of class I and II officers and III and IV officials in their respective departments upto May 15.
The Minister-in-charge could make transfers except for those cadres for whom online transfer systems are in place, the press statement had said.
Notably, the Chief Minister Manohar lal had on April 11 during a routine informal cabinet meeting had conferred transfers powers to Ministers-in-charge to effect transfers in their respective departments.
The decision was reviewed during the routine informal cabinet meeting held on Tuesday at Faridabad, following which fresh instructions were issued by the Chief Secretary’s office regarding effecting transfers of Class I and II officers in the State.
Recently, Union Minister of Steel, Birender Singh had sought extension of the decision on allowing the Ministers to carry out transfers of Class I and II officers of their respective departments saying that such powers should be given to the Ministers permanently and not for just 15 days.