Recently, Sushil Sarwan has been posted as DC in his home district of Panchkula
State Govt Instructions mandate prior approval of General Administration Department for posting any Gazetted Officer in his/her home district- Advocate
CHANDIGARH, 30 AUGUST: In the State of Haryana, an IAS (Indian Administrative Service) cadre officer can be posted in his own home district on the pivotal administrative and prestigious post viz.Deputy Commissioner (DC).
It is generally believed that Gazetted Officers i.e. Group A and Group B ( a.k.a. Class One & Class Two) officers in regular Government Service cannot be posted in their respective home districts.
Meanwhile, Hemant Kumar, an Advocate at Punjab and Haryana High Court told that recently on 19 August 2023, a 2012 batch IAS of Haryana Cadre, Sushil Sarwan, who has declared his home district (i.e. home of family) as Panchkula in the official records ( also mentioned in Gradation List) has been posted as DC, Panchkula. Sushil became an IAS officer after being promoted from HCS (Haryana Civil Service) four and a half years ago in May, 2019. His father M.L. Sarwan is also a retired HCS officer while mother Santosh Chauhan Sarwan has been a member (MLA) of the Haryana Legislative Assembly twice and has also been a Minister in the then Bhajan Lal led Government in the State.
Hemant further asserted that as per policy of the Haryana Government which is also periodically & strictly reiterated, Gazetted Officers of the State Government cannot be directly posted/transferred in their concerned home district.
However, Gazetted Officers posted in the State Civil Secretariat, Heads of Departments, Divisional Commissioners, Superintending Engineers (SEs) & similar officers
whose office jurisdiction comprises more than one district as well as other officers posted in the aforementioned offices, Professors and Senior Lecturers posted in the Education Department and Doctors posted in Medical Colleges of the state are exceptions that is, the above policy does not applies to them.
In the years 1989 and 1991 and also thereafter, Govt instructions have been issued by the State Govt on this subject which are also applicable as on date
according to which Postings/Transfers of Gazetted Officers ( other than of those in exceptional categories) in their home district can be done only after the prior consent of the General Administration Department (GAD) of the State Govt.
In a letter issued by the
State Government in November, 2020, it was reiterated Postings/Transfers of Gazetted Officers in their home district
requires prior approval from the General Administration Department. However what happens is that after effecting Postings/Transfers of Gazetted Officers in their home district by respective Departments, the matter is sent to the General Administration Department for ex-post facto approval which has been seriously viewed by the State Government. It was mentioned that henceforth no such ex-post facto approval would be accorded.
Hemant told that the Administrative Secretary of both the State’s Personnel Department as well as General Administration Department is the Chief Secretary while politically both these Departments come under the Chief Minister. The posting & transfer orders of IAS and HCS officers in the State are issued under the signature of the Chief Secretary in compliance with the directions/orders given by the Chief Minister as Minister in charge of Personnel Department. Now when an HCS/IAS officer is posted in his home district by the Personnel Department itself, whether it will require the approval of the General Administration Department or not, it remains to be seen.