46,000 govt employees transferred in Himachal in 22 months: CM

The Himachal Pradesh government transferred 46,701 employees of various departments, boards and corporations between January 2013 and October 2014, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh informed the Assembly today.
Replying to three separate questions of MLAs I D Dhiman, Mohinder Singh and Randhir Sharma, the Chief Minister said 26,622 employees were shifted between January 2013 and November 2013, of which 8,884 transfers were on d/o (demi official) letters of public representatives and other leaders and 3,837 on administrative grounds.
He said 10,142 employees were transferred between December 2013 and June 2014 while 6,216 transfers were ordered between July 16, 2014 and October 31, 2014.

When the BJP members questioned the rationale of such large-scale transfers, Singh said it was a routine affair and disclosed that the erstwhile BJP government had transferred 27,429 employees during the eight month period from January 2008 to August 2008.
Singh informed that 930 employees approached the high court and in 806 cases, the transfers were cancelled.
"The statistics make it amply clear that the transfers are ordered by any government for various valid reasons and not on political considerations," he said.
He also clarified that the stay imposed by the high court on transfers being made on recommendation of public representatives had been struck down by the Supreme Court.

Such recommendations by public representatives were nothing new and in the BJP regime too, such requests were entertained, the Chief Minister added.