by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
Even on Friday last (November 20), the Department of Personnel under the PMO issued fresh guidelines with regard to Rotational Transfer Policy (RTP) for private secretaries belonging to the Central Secretariat Services. The PMO wants that duration of PS' working in various ministries and departments be for a fixed tenure and they must be rotated. The continuance of an officer for a longer duration in the same ministry and the same department is not considered appropriate by the present dispensation. All departments have been directed to submit details by the end of this month about such private secretaries working with them.
Exclusive Report
A Cabinet minister is
normally entitled to appoint 15 officers including PS, OSD and those on other ranks.
Since Chaudhary Birender Singh holds the charge of three more departments, he
can appoint a personal staff of 28 persons.
Birender Singh loses two OSDs
￭ New transfer policy for private
secretaries too
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, Nov 22:
The Prime Minister's Office
continues to play tough when it comes to hiring the private secretaries (PS) or
Officers on Special Duty (OSDs) or personal staff of the ministers in the
government. Even after 18 months into the office, the ministers in the NDA
government are still struggling to find personal staff "acceptable"
to the PMO.
The latest shocker came to Union
rural development minister Chaudhary Birender Singh who was told by the PMO
that the appointments of two OSDs cannot be approved. Incidentally, one of the
two OSDs was functioning in with the minister for the past 10 months. His file
was sent for approval to the PMO immediately after being appointed 10 months
ago. But the PMO rejected it now. Since he is a retired IRS officer, he was
drawing his pension and doesn't suffer financially. But the other OSD is an
advocate and politically close to the minister.
A Cabinet minister is normally
entitled to appoint 15 officers including PS, OSD and those on other ranks.
Since Chaudhary Birender Singh holds the charge of three more departments, he
can appoint a personal staff of 28 persons. Birender Singh was reportedly upset
with the decision and reported to have taken up the issue with the PMO as well.
But to no avail. It may be mentioned that even Union home minister Rajnath
Singh, HRD minister Smriti Irani, minority affairs minister Najma Heptualla,
consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan and a couple of others were not
allowed to retain the officers of their choice. Rajnath Singh's officer was
repatriated prematurely while Smriti Irani's OSD was given marching orders
after he worked for 10 months.
A highly placed source in the PMO
explained that the appointment of private persons in the ministerial staff is
closely scrutinized at various levels in the revenue, home, IB, RAW & other
departments. The ministers may appoint some of their favourites in their
personal staff. But certain persons are not found fit after the inquiry and
proposals are rejected.
The PMO had conveyed to the
ministers last year that no sanction will be granted to the person for
appointment if he had worked during the UPA regime or for that matter in the
United Front governments. Earlier, even lower rank staff members were not
allowed to join. But this rule was relaxed.
Even on Friday last (November 20), the Department of Personnel under the PMO issued fresh guidelines with regard to Rotational Transfer Policy (RTP) for private secretaries belonging to the Central Secretariat Services. The PMO wants that duration of PS' working in various ministries and departments be for a fixed tenure and they must be rotated. The continuance of an officer for a longer duration in the same ministry and the same department is not considered appropriate by the present dispensation. All departments have been directed to submit details by the end of this month about such private secretaries working with them.
