Santosh Gangwar oversaw mass transfers in EPFO hours before stepping down

The day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi rejigged the Union Ministerial Council, there was one other main reshuffle beneath the executive watch of an outgoing minister — in a statutory physique tasked with managing lakhs of crores of rupees.

Nearly 120 prime officers in the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) that oversees the retirement financial savings of India’s formal workforce, had been transferred in an unprecedented en masse mid-year switch on July 6 by two separate orders.

Moreover, before the oath-taking ceremony of the brand new ministerial council at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Wednesday night, these officers in the rank of Additional Central PF Commissioner and Regional PF Commissioner – 1 (RPFC-1), had been additionally relieved of their duties so they may take cost of their new assignments.

As many as 12 Additional Central PF Commissioners had been transferred, whereas 105 RPFC-1 rank officers (nearly half of the sanctioned cadre power) had been shifted to new postings as per the switch orders reviewed by The Puucho.

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“The officers shall be relieved with immediate effect and shall join their new place of posting within three days without availing joining time,” the order stated, sparking issues amongst a number of officers about making such a swift transfer amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sources stated the method for effecting the switch orders was hurried by in order to finish it before former Union Minister of State with Independent Charge of the Labour and Employment Ministry Santosh Gangwar demitted workplace, and a brand new minister assumed cost.

Mr. Gangwar resigned from his ministerial put up on Wednesday and his successor Bhupendra Yadav assumed cost on Thursday afternoon.

While routine transfers are authorised by the EPFO chief — the Central Provident Fund Commissioner or CPFC — primarily based on the suggestions of a committee, all transfers that represent a deviation from the norms, want an approval from the Chairman of the EPFO’s Central Board of Trustees — the Union Labour and Employment Minister.

“There are several officers who have been transferred out prior to completion of their term and some officers have been transferred to far off places against the options exercised by them,” the EPF Officers’ Association identified in a missive to CPFC Sunil Barthwal on Thursday.

Detailed queries on the switch orders ‘issued with the approval of the competent authority’ despatched to the Union Labour and Employment Secretary Apurva Chandra and CPFC Sunil Barthwal didn’t elicit a response. The new minister Mr Yadav didn’t reply to queries on whether or not he’ll overview the orders.

Veteran EPF officers stated the most recent switch orders aren’t compliant with the coverage laid down in 2016 for EPFO, after a Supreme Court judgement in 2013 had directed the federal government to enhance transparency in postings and transfers and guarantee a set tenure of postings for officers, in response to a civil writ petition filed by former Cabinet Secretary T.S.R. Subramaniam and others.

As per the switch coverage, annual basic transfers are to be timed in order that officers can take cost of their new roles on April 1. The minutes of the EPF Officers’ Transfer Committee (EOTC) are to be positioned on the organisation’s web site and aggrieved officers are given an opportunity to hunt reconsideration.