Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Monday prohibited its employees from exercising any form of influence to secure suitable transfer or posting in the administration, a top official said.
Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja conveyed the directive to all the department secretaries through a letter.
“All government employees are, therefore, prohibited from exercising any form of influence, direct or indirect, to secure favourable transfers or postings,” the Chief Secretary said in the letter.
Stating that it has come to the notice of the state government that some employees are attempting to influence their transfer and posting by exerting extraneous influence, the Chief Secretary said that this practice is a violation of Rule 23 of the Odisha Government Servants’ Conduct Rules, 1959.
He quoted the rule that stated, “No government servant shall bring or attempt to bring any influence, whether official or non-official, to bear upon any authority to further his interests in respect of matters pertaining to his appointment under government, promotion, pay and other service conditions”.
The Chief Secretary also said that government employees are expected to maintain the highest standards of integrity and conduct, upholding the principles of fairness and transparency in all service matters.
He said that transfers and postings of employees are usually taken up as per the administrative exigencies, considering merit, and following established procedures.
“Any attempt to circumvent this process will be viewed as a serious misconduct, which will attract disciplinary action,” Ahuja mentioned in the letter.
He asked all the secretaries of departments and the district collectors to ensure that these guidelines are effectively informed to all employees and henceforth all should desist from this practice.
PTI
