The Hindu Business Line : <I>Punitive transfers </I>

Whenever, during colonial rule, the transfer of an official was questioned on the ground of vindictiveness or victimisation, the stand invariably taken by the top brass was that transfers were always made in public interest and to suit administrative exigencies. In other words, there was nothing like a punitive transfer.

Even so, pressure from employees led to the formulation of certain criteria governing transfers to minimise the possibility of ulterior motives. Over a period, conditions in free India have deteriorated to such an extent that officials are being pushed around with impunity just because they do not carry out the improper dictates of the governing class or they take strong action against political cronies for violations of the law. This practice of wantonly destroying the morale of public servants was at its peak during the Emergency when many officials where put to great mental torture and physical suffering for not doing the bidding of the ilk of Sanjay Gandhi.

Reprehensibly, "punitive transfers" continue to be in vogue despite all protestations to the contrary. This is proved by the story in The Hindu of July 23 that the Director-General (Investigation) and four senior officials of the Income Tax Department in Delhi have been summarily shunted out for "their reported role in exposing a bribery case in which liquor manufacturers of UP allegedly paid over Rs 300 crore to top politicians and bureaucrats".

It is sad that even with two upright and conscientious persons like Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Dr Manmohan Singh holding the nation's two highest constitutional posts, the Sanjay Gandhi syndrome has Indian administration in its vice-like grip. It is high time the service associations and civil society stood up to such brazen attempts to sabotage good governance and the heads of departments summoned the courage to resist the pressures of evil-minded politicians to destroy what little is left of administration.

B.S.RAGHAVAN