Delegation of Administrative powers to the Regional Directors

To
The Director General
Archaeological Survey of India
Janpath, New Delhi – 110 011.

Sub: Delegation of Administrative powers to the Regional Directors –
Modification of orders- requested.
Ref: Your office Order No. 88/2009-Adm.I dated 22.07.2009.

Sir,

I write to inform you that, while thanking your kindself for taking bold steps in establishing the Regional Directorate offices and delegating financial and administrative powers to the Regional Directors, I am to draw your kind attention to our discussions held on 8th July 2009 during which, you had assured us that the powers of transfers of any cadres will not be delegated to the Regional Directors. But to our surprise, the power of Transfer of Group ‘B’ (Gazetted), Group ‘B’ (Non-Gazetted), Group ‘C’ and ‘D’ within the Region has been delegated to the Regional Directors vide your Office Order cited above.

As you are kindly aware, hitherto, when the powers of transfer of all cadres through out the country were vested with the Office of the Director General, the Gr. B, C and D staff were transferred from one Circle to another Circle or Zone, only when they are promoted to the higher posts and such promotional posts were not available in their Circle/Zonal offices of other branches or when there were requests from individual officials to join their family. The powers were never misused for harassing any officers or staff members of any cadre. Now, I am sure, the powers of transfer delegated to the Regional Directors will definitely be misused to harass and black-mail the officers and low paid staff members of Gr. B (Non-Gazetted), Gr. C and D Cadres. We have living examples of harassment and blackmailing meted out to number of low paid Gr. C and Gr. D staff by some Circle and Zonal officers with limited powers of transferring them within the jurisdiction of the Circles/Zones in general and Female employees in particular. When such Gr. C and D staffs were transferred to a very distant places from their original posting, they were unable to maintain two establishments, one for themselves at the new place of posting and another at their original place of posting for the sake of their children’s education, thus, they were forced to opt for voluntary retirement. In the process, the Department has lost number of very richly experienced Group D staff who were striving hard in cleaning and removing vegetation even from a very peak of the monuments. You are kindly aware, of recent, education has become a very costly affair and every citizen has an ambition of providing good education to their children. But such unhealthy transfers of Gr. C and Gr. D staff to a far off place throws cold water on their ambition and their children have to suffer lack of good education.

Further, such transfer powers are not vested with the Directors working in the office of the Director General. There will be a great frustration among such Directors working in Directorate office without such powers on the one hand and on the other, the Regional Directors, who have enjoyed enormous powers, will hesitate to work in the office of the Director General, when they are transferred from the Regional Directorate to the office of the Director General.

Further, I would like to draw your kind attention to the Sl. No. 6 of the above Office Order wherein the powers of sanction of G.P.F. Advances in respect of all the Group A,B,C and D Officials of the Horticulture Branch has been delegated to the Chief Horticulturist. In this connection, it is brought to your kind notice that the Horticulture Branch of Archaeological Survey of India has been spreaded across the country and the staff working in this Branch are rendering yeomen service by laying out beautiful Lawns and Gardens highlighting the environs of the Nationally Protected Monuments which is being appreciated by the National/International tourists visiting these Monuments. The Horticulture Branch has at present Four Divisions located at Agra, New Delhi, Mysore and Bhubaneswar respectively and nearly 2000 employees of Group A, B,C, D are working in these Divisions and the jurisdiction of these Divisional Offices are very vast. At present though these Divisional Offices are having lack of Ministerial staff, but however they are managing to get the work achieved with the existing staff. If the said orders have to be implemented by the Chief Horticulturist stationed at Agra, the employees who are applying for sanction of G.P.F. Advances for their immediate needs feels very difficult and it may take months together to get their advance sanctioned and the main purpose of their requirements will definitely be defeated. In order to protect the interest of these staff, it is absolutely necessary that the powers of sanction of G.P.F. Advances and Final Withdrawals be restored with the Division Heads.

In the circumstances explained above, I would request you kindly to review your decision and issue a Corrigendum withdrawing the powers delegated to the Regional Directors of transferring officers and staff members of all Gr. B, C and D cadres and restore the same with the office of the Director General again in the larger interest of the justice and equity.

I hope, you will consider our request in a right spirit and review your decision in order to protect the interest of the large number of employees working in the Department having due regard in your able and benign administration.

Thanking you Sir, in anticipation of your orders in the matter at the earliest.

Yours faithfully,

Sd/-
(B.A. Chandra Shekhar)
Secretary General