Ministry of Roads Transport and Highways is miffed with the contractual appointments of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) as they are not only in violation of the Central service rules but a Cabinet order has also made a provision for permanent cadre at the authority.
After receiving several complaints of irregularities involved in transfer, postings, promotions and appointments of officers at NHAI and frequent misleading agendas for Board Meetings put up by the NHAI board, Minister MoRTH Oscar Fernandes has directed NHAI chairman RP Singh in an order dated August 8, 2013, “to put up all administrative and vigilance matters, including promotions, transfers and postings of all officers and staff, pertaining to MoRTH and NHAI, for Minister’s approval.”
The Ministry had earlier issued premature repatriation order in June 2013 for Indian Navy Officer Rakesh Nagar who was posted as the General Manager (HR and Administration) NHAI, after complaints that Central Service Rules were being flouted. NHAI is still to relieve the officer in compliance to the order.
In another instance, at the 95th NHAI meeting, On August 14, this year, senior members from NHAI had moved agenda items for the Board Meeting with the proposal to appoint General Managers and Chief General Managers on contractual basis. But soon after, the Ministry wrote back to Chairman R.P. Singh calling for “immediate withdrawal of the agenda since contractual appointments, as a matter of regular policy, violated DoPT guidelines and there was a Cabinet approval for a permanent cadre in NHAI.”
Even earlier, at the 89th NHAI Board Meeting senior officials misrepresented the facts to Board members that “promotion” from Personal Assistant to Assistant Manager (Administration) level post is in practice in Central Government. This has been in contrary to MoRTH’s order dated June 26, 2009 which categorically clarified such kind of practice was not permissible.
In another such instance of March this year, NHAI officials released an advertisement on their website calling for applications for various categories of posts wherein they had mentioned that NHAI Chairman is competent to relax “essential experience” of a post. In fact, the experience which is integral part of the Recruitment Regulations (RR) of a post, is notified in the Gazette of India only after being duly approved by the NHAI Board. Therefore, only the Board has the power to reconsider it.