22 promoted as SO reverted to ASO post

22 promoted as SO reverted to ASO post

‘Want of vacancy’ cited as reason; employees to lose ₹15,000-₹20,000 a month

13/05/2020, DENNIS S. JESUDASAN,CHENNAI

As many as 22 employees in various departments of the Tamil Nadu government, who were promoted as Section Officers during February-March this year, have been abruptly reverted as Assistant Section Officers (ASOs) citing “want of vacancy” as the reason.

The Personnel & Administrative Reforms (P&AR) Department has informed the employees individually that they were “reverted to the post of Assistant Section Officers in the forenoon of May 11, 2020 for want of vacancy in the post of Section Officer”. Consequently each of the 22 officials stand to lose between ₹15,000 and ₹20,000 a month, according to an affected employee.

These officers are serving in the Departments of Personnel & Administrative Reforms, Public Works, School Education, Labour & Employment, Higher Education, Co-operation, Food and Consumer Protection, Highways and Minor Ports, Environment & Forests, Industries, Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Information Technology, Municipal Administration and Water Supply, Housing and Urban Development and Revenue.

“This is a clear case of lack of planning. How did the P&AR Department promote them as SOs in the first place, when there are no vacancies,” charged J. Ganesan, former president, Tamil Nadu Secretariat Association (TANSA).

He alleged that the P&AR department had promoted the 22 officers without properly undertaking an estimate of vacancies. This had led to an unpleasant situation with the officers being reverted to the post of ASO.

The State government’s recent decision to enhance the age of superannuation to 59 years had no bearing on the decision to revert them. “The rules say only if there are vacancies, panels can be drawn for promotion. So, neither did they have a plan nor did they go by the rules. This is a case of mismanagement,” an official charged.

These 22 officers, on their promotion, recently completed their mandatory training.

Earlier, the government used to have Section Officer (non-independent) posts, also called SONI posts, to accommodate people in this situation. But, the P&AR Department had abolished the post.

“Now for the fault of the P&AR Department, these officers are suffering,” an official contended.

Despite multiple attempts, officials in the P&AR Department could not be reached for comment.