Hazare wins concession on transfer of officers

The Maharashtra government yesterday came up with a path breaking proposal on transfers of government officers thus giving in to one of the major demands of anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare who is on a fast unto death for the fifth day.

With the state cabinet approved the draft legislation to regulate transfers and cut down bureaucratic delays, the Democratic Front government has also silenced the Opposition Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party which had angrily raised the transfer controversy in the monsoon legislative session.

News reports of police officers paying a high price as bribe to get plum posts and transfers, and the issue of transferring any bureaucrat or government employee who does not toe the minister's line were raised by the Opposition.

Now, the government proposes transfers of Indian Administrative Service officers, senior government officers and employees in some categories only after three years and also debars employees from remaining in one department for more than six years.

While the transfers of seniormost officers come under the authority of the chief minister the rest will be handled by the concerned ministries and local department heads in the districts.

Even cutting down red-tape in the bureaucracy, as demanded by Hazare, will be cut down by this proposal which will be sent to Governor Mohammed Fazal's approval after which an ordinance will be issued by the government.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said that the government has not conceded to Hazare's demand for a judicial probe with a three-judge committee as it was "willing to appoint a one-man judge to probe charges levelled by Hazare against four Democratic Front ministers," who are alleged to have misused their official position for personal gains. He also shied away from an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The anti-corruption crusader has demanded the resignation of four ministers, Irrigation Minister Padamsinh Patil, Food and Supplies Minister Suresh Jain, Minister of State for General Administration Vijaykumar Gavit and Minister of State for Housing Nawab Malik - all from the Nationalist Congress Party.

"Since this is a coalition government, I cannot ask them to resign," said Shinde, who is from the Congress.

Jain is also on an indefinite fast demanding an inquiry into irregularities of Hazare-led NGOs.
While facing a judicial probe, Hazare says he will withdraw from all the public trusts run by him.

Hazare also won earlier when the state government began the implementation of of the stringent Right to Information Ordinance after President APJ Kalam approved it on August 11. It replaces the Information Act and provides for strict punishment for corrupt officials.