Urban Administration revises 94 transfer orders within 24 hours:Court-protected officials-employees also shifted, transfers cancelled after irregularities surfaced

Several irregularities have come to light in the recent administrative transfer exercise in Madhya Pradesh. Questions have been raised over the apparent disregard for transfer rules and procedures. The issue was further highlighted by a Dainik Bhaskar sting operation, in which clerks were allegedly caught on camera demanding bribes in exchange for facilitating transfers. In Bhopal, 24 Patwaris (revenue officials) had their transfer orders cancelled within a day. In the Urban Development and Housing Department, transfers were issued for employees who had already secured court stay orders. In another case, a sub-engineer was transferred to two different locations simultaneously, while an officer with only two months remaining before retirement was also included in the transfer list. Following the exposure of these irregularities, the department came under pressure. On 15 June, the transfer deadline was extended by an additional day. During this period, six fresh orders were issued, resulting in the cancellation or modification of transfers involving 94 officers and employees. How were the rules violated? 1. Transfers issued despite court stay orders Eleven officers and employees, including Assistant Revenue Inspectors posted in Bangawan Rajnagar Nagar Parishad in Anuppur district and Bakahon Nagar Parishad in Shahdol district, were transferred despite having obtained court stay orders in connection with a fake appointment case. In the Nagar Parishads of Bangawan, Dola, Budhar, Jaitpur and Doomalkachhar in Anuppur district, a total of 271 officers and employees were allegedly appointed in violation of rules. Among them were 206 muster-roll workers. Following complaints, all of them were removed from service. Several affected employees subsequently approached the court, which granted a stay on appointments and selection lists in 11 cases. Despite the stay orders, transfer orders were issued for these 11 employees on 15 June. After the irregularity came to light and the transfer deadline was extended by 24 hours, the department was forced to cancel their transfers. 2. One Sub-Engineer posted to two different locations A major administrative error emerged in the case of Sub-Engineer Lokesh Raikwar, who was serving in Chhanera Nagar Parishad in Khandwa district. Transfer orders simultaneously posted him to Sehore and Sardarpur. The discrepancy was later discovered when officials found there was no vacant post available in Sehore. Subsequently, the Sehore posting order was cancelled and Raikwar was officially transferred to Sardarpur Nagar Parishad. 3. Officer nearing retirement included in transfer list Executive Engineer Pramod Malviya, currently posted in Bhopal, is due to retire in August 2026. According to government transfer rules, officers and employees with six months or less remaining before retirement are generally not transferred. Despite this provision, Malviya was transferred on deputation to Ujjain Municipal Corporation. Departmental sources claimed the move was linked to preparations for the Simhastha event scheduled for 2028. According to sources, experienced officers may be granted service extensions or contractual appointments to assist with the event’s planning and execution. The transfer of Malviya to Ujjain is believed to have been aimed at facilitating such an extension after his retirement. As part of the same reshuffle, Santosh Gupta’s deputation in Ujjain was terminated and he was transferred to Bhopal Municipal Corporation. Action taken against 14 sub-engineers in Indore Municipal Corporation Indore Municipal Corporation became one of the most discussed entities in the transfer exercise after 14 sub-engineers were transferred out. Of these, 12 engineers had secured court stay orders following transfer orders issued last year and had continued serving in Indore. This time, however, the department issued separate transfer orders for each individual officer. The official orders cited deputation to other municipal corporations based on the officers’ “qualifications and specialised skills”. Most of the engineers had been posted in Indore for six years or longer. One notable case was that of Sub-Engineer Vinod Agrawal, who had been serving in Indore for 31 years. He has now been transferred to Chhindwara. Bhopal Patwari transfer list altered within 24 hours The transfer list of Patwaris in Bhopal underwent significant changes within a single day. On 15 June, the Collector’s office issued transfer orders for 46 Patwaris. Most of these officials had been posted in Huzur and Kolar tehsils for between five and eight years. Some were also serving in their home tehsils. However, following the Cabinet meeting on 16 June and the extension of the transfer deadline, a revised transfer list was released. In the updated order, the names of 24 out of the original 46 Patwaris were removed. The revised list ultimately included 30 Patwaris, with a large number still belonging to the Huzur and Kolar areas. Allegations have since emerged that some officials succeeded in having their names removed from the transfer list through influential contacts. Department forced into damage control After the series of discrepancies came to light, the department was compelled to review several transfer orders. The one-day extension granted on 15 June resulted in six fresh administrative orders. In total, transfers involving 94 officers and employees were either cancelled or amended, raising fresh concerns about transparency, procedural compliance and the handling of one of the state’s largest transfer exercises.