Vikramaditya
Port Blair, Mar 19: Even as some departments of the administration have revamped their transfer policies in bid to treat all employees equally, certain departments continue to disregard a particular circular that bars transfer of senior employees above 55 years to remote postings. Even in Transfer policy of Andaman and Nicobar Administration it is mentioned that government employees of more than 55 year age may be given posting close to his residence although the transfer policy has not made it mandatory yet.
According to reports, a circular was issued some years ago during the time of former Lt. Governor, Mr. NN Jha to benefit employees on the verge of their retirement (55 years) with comfortable posting, particularly to places where adequate medical facilities are available. With time some department increased this age bar to 58 while some department have chosen to forget this circular.
There are some departments, which are transferring Government employees of more than 55 years to remote Islands forcefully. At present there are nearly 20 such old age employees working in Nancowry Island of different departments and situation is not different in other remote Islands too.
“The policy to provide choice posting to senior employees aged above 55 years was aimed at ensuring choice posting to the employees on the verge of their superannuation. Many remote locations in this territory are devoid of adequate medical infrastructure and posting senior employees with diseases like diabetes, BP, hypertension etc in such areas could prove fatal,” said a senior employee on the condition of anonymity.
All department should treat all employees equally and senior officials particularly those on the brink of their retirement should be accorded due care. They should be posted in areas that have adequate medical facilities
“While, people become prone to various ailments after crossing 50, the departments should avoid posting employees on the verge of their retirement to hard areas and should be posted to areas which are well-equipped with medical facilities,” say some senior employees of the administration.
Intervention of the Lt. Governor of these islands is immediately required and the Heads of all departments should be instructed to prevent transfer of employees, above 55 years, to remote areas. Reforms in the transfer policy of various departments has earned accolades for the administration and a step further in ensuring the well-being of the senior employees of the administration is largely anticipated by the islanders.
