'Make sure officers aren't transferred without postings': Karnataka Chief Secretary to state department chiefs

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh has asked all heads of departments to ensure that no officer is transferred without being provided a place of posting.

Rajneesh issued the circular after the High Court, on January 30, passed strictures against the government on the practice of transferring officers without a posting.

Referring to a May 2025 order, Rajneesh said the government had made it clear that no officer should be made to wait for a posting.

"Despite a clear directive, some departments are not providing postings to officers and employees. In such cases, the officer or employee is paid salaries and allowances even when they don't have any work. Not only does this delay the work of citizens, it causes financial losses to the government," Rajneesh stated.

Excise Deputy Commissioner K Arun Kumar went to court after he was transferred without a new posting. The court ordered that no officer should be transferred without a posting. "Directing a transferred officer/official to report before competent authority would not amount to providing posting," the court stated, according Rajneesh's circular.

"If the state transfers an officer/official without providing any posting to him, then such officer/official who is not provided posting shall not be relieved of his duties in the previous post until he is provided with posting," the court stated.

The court further stated that salary and allowances paid to such government servants during their compulsory waiting period should be recovered from officers who gave effect to the transfers - secretaries or heads of departments.

Accordingly, Rajneesh has asked all heads of departments to follow the direction or cough up the salary and allowance payable to officers who are not given a posting upon transfer.