The Rajasthan government has transferred 121 Rajasthan Administrative Services (RAS) officers, mainly additional district magistrates and sub-divisional magistrates to adhere to the deadline of the Election Commission of India which has restricted the transfer of any officer involved in poll-related matters post-January 6, 2024. The transfers were long pending and have been effected after one month of the new government being in power.
After this list, officials are expecting another jumbo transfer list of 300-odd officers in the next couple of days. This upcoming list will include names of senior RAS officers posted at important and senior positions in the secretariat and as department heads.
The transfer list has officers of 2008 and below batches. Officers senior to the 2008 batch are still awaiting transfers. Additional district magistrates of bigger districts like Jaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Kota and Udaipur have not been changed.
The transfer of officers is just an indication that a new system is getting in place and things will not go the way it was before. Any government which changes immediately reshuffle officers. However, the Rajasthan government took more than 20 days to effect the first major reshuffle.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a visit to Jaipur, has signalled that the state government will not behave with officers in a biased manner. He said that officers don't belong to any political party. They will be treated on merit. No transfer should take place out of vindication. He also directed MLAs and ministers to refrain from misbehaving with the public and officers. He asked MLAs to work together for the development of the state.
Recently, a few MLAs were caught in a verbal duel with officers, which has not gone down well with the central leadership. RAS officers are the base of government. They work in the field and are the officers who implement the policies of the government.
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