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karnataka govt employees grab association posts to dodge transfers
By Ashwini M Sripad | Express News Service | Published: 21st June 2017 08:41 AM |
Last Updated: 21st June 2017 08:41 AM |
BENGALURU: Scores of state government employees in various departments seem to have found a rather ingenious way to duck transfers —by becoming an office-bearer of the Karnataka State Government Employees’ Association. The transfer guidelines allow for an office-bearer of the association to stay in one place without getting transferred for a period of up to 10 years.
R Srikanth, a member of the Karnataka State Government Employees’ Association council said there is a huge lobby to become an office-bearer so that they won’t have to worry about being transferred.
“According to the association bylaws, there should be nine vice-presidents, but there are 33 currently. Similarly, there can be four secretaries, but we have 28.
The president has the power to nominate office-bearers. The current president is appointing hundreds of people for reasons best known to him,” he said.
To become an office-bearer, one should first be elected as association council member. But there are many cases where this rule is being overlooked and those who don’t want to be transferred get themselves appointed as office-bearers without even becoming a council member. Each office-bearer is issued a certificate, and by submitting this, they get their transfer orders cancelled, he pointed out. Interestingly, most of the office-bearers are from the Transport, Excise and Commercial Taxes departments.
“We have over five lakh primary members and `100 is collected from each of them annually for office use. This comes up to over `5 crore. This apart, the state government gives various grants to celebrate special days. The officer-bearers are misusing the funds,” he alleged. He also demanded an amendment to the association bylaws to restrict the number of office-bearers. Presently, now only the president has the power.
