Don't hold up senior officials beyond their tenure: Govt to ministries

The directive comes after it came to notice that officers appointed as Additional Secretary or equivalent level working under various ministries aren't being relieved in time

Noting instances of delay, the Centre has directed all ministries under it to ensure that all Additional Secretary-level officers are relieved soon after their tenure are over.

It has also asked them to ensure on "priority basis" that vacancy or posts are regularly updated on an electronic system to process appointments in the government departments.

"Officers coming from their parent cadre and appointed directly as Additional Secretary at the Centre will get a tenure of four years," a directive issued to central government secretaries by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.

Officers holding the post of Joint Secretary or equivalent at the Centre when appointed to a post at the level of Additional Secretary within two years of being appointed as JS, would get a combined tenure of five years as Joint Secretary or Additional Secretary at the Centre, it said.

The directive comes after it came to notice that officers appointed as Additional Secretary or equivalent level working under various ministries are not being relieved in time, the order said.

All ministries have been directed that unless otherwise directed in the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) orders, the prescribed tenure of the officers need to be followed.

Bureaucrats holding the post of Joint Secretary or equivalent at the Centre when appointed to a post at the level of Additional Secretary after completing two years or more (but less than four years) as Joint Secretary, would get a tenure of three years from the date of appointment as Additional Secretary, the DoPT said.

"It is requested that the tenure details of officers or posts under Central Staffing Scheme be updated on priority basis by the ministries or departments concerned in their ACC Vacancy Monitoring System interface in order to enable this office to monitor incumbency or vacancy status effectively," it said.