Administrative Decision can not be Arbitrary
“The biggest unsafe aspect of Indian Railways is the inability of its senior officers to administratively be prudent”
We saw an extremely interesting case where #PCME of #NCRailway made two transfers of JA Grade #IRSME officers and after few weeks reverted these officers to where they were posted earlier.
When we reached to #PCME/NCR for his version, he brusquely told us that this was #administrative decision! GoI defines ‘Administrative transfer’ as a #transfer made without the request of an employee due to office exigencies.
Everyone we spoke to was astonished. Experts say that what kind of #administrative-exigency can get reversed in few weeks? Does this not raise serious doubts on #integrity and #ability of the #PHOD who took this decision?
In case transferred officers brought pressure, then a very wrong message was sent as decision of PHOD and GM was successfully resisted. It is also not clear how #Agra-#Jhansi-#Prayagraj, the three divisional HQ of #NCR be so very inconveniently different that officers are not ready to leave these close cities.
We tried to reach to the #GeneralManager of #NCR but his phone and messages went unanswered. His #secretary was rather curt and advised to reach out to the Chief Public Relations Officer (#CPRO).
It is pity that secretaries fall so short on basics-would #CPRO now answer for what was in mind of the General Manager when he approved a set of transfers and then after a few weeks went back on them?
Loss of National Academy of Indian Railways (#NAIR) is showing all over now. Absence of basics of PR, basics of administrative prudence in Level 15-17 is appalling.
Supreme Court has also maintained that decisions cannot be #arbitrary, which this decision prima facie is. As we said, “the biggest unsafe aspect of #IndianRailways is the inability of its senior officers to administratively be prudent”.
Junior, officers promoted from Group ‘C’ are able to overrule their so called dabang PHODs. This brazenness is seen in #accident investigations and also when officials successfully ride over the storms of culpability in accidents.