In a bid to infuse dynamism into the field-level administration, the government has taken a fresh initiative to make officials and employees at the field-level administration accountable and ensure their transparency, public administration ministry sources said.
Divisional Commissioners have been entrusted with the task of transferring and posting of UpazilaNirbahi Officers (UNO) and Assistant Commissioners (Land).
It is learned that from now on, the Ministry of Public Administration(MoPA) is pondering to bring back the powers of posting and transferring UNOs and AC lands.
Divisional Commissioners were given the power to appoint and transfer UNOs through a circular issued by the Ministry of Public Administration on December 30, 2010. Earlier, this power was vested in the Ministry of Public Administration.
No officer can be transferred or posted as UNO in his native district or in the upazila where he worked as Assistant Commissioner (Land). As a result of the issuance of the circular, the divisional commissioners have been conducting the posting and transfer of UNOs in the upazilas since 2010.
According to the Ministry of Public Administration, during the tenure of the present government, there have been numerous attacks on DCs, UNOs and Assistant Commissioners (Land) while performing their duties in the field administration.
In the meantime, several heinous incidents remained in dark due to negligence of high-up officials. Again, even if the field administration officialswould inform the matters to the higher officials, no remedies were made.
It is claimed that, government officials are often forced to compromise to protect their jobs. Besides, the Divisional Commissioners have been taking care of the UpazilaNirbahi Officer (UNO) and Assistant Commissioner (Land). From now on, the Ministry of Public Administration will prepare a fitlist to fill up the vacant posts of UNOs.
From now on, UNO of one department cannot be transferred directly to another department. If anyone wants to be transferred to another department, he will send a proposal to withdraw to his own divisional commissioner to the Ministry of Public Administration. The Ministry of Public Administration will take necessary decision in this regard. No UNO can be transferred before two years without a valid reason.
Besides, no officer can be kept in the same workplace for more than three years. However, in hilly areas and remote areas declared by the government, no official can be kept as UNO for more than two years. No UNO can be transferred to another upazila of the same district.
Talking to The Bangladesh Post a UNO of Barishal division preferring anonymity said, it is a good decision that the Ministry of Public Administration has been bestowed on the power to transfer and deploy UNOs and AC lands. Now many officials of the field administration are not getting justice. Many officials are being harassed.
Another UNO of Rajshahi district, pointed that harassment and other problems are exceptional in many cases. If the power of transfer and deployment remains in field administration level that would enhance dynamism. Eventually rather than the central authority, field administration can decipher and solve any odd situationcentringUNOs and AC lands.
In this regard, Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration Sheikh Yusuf Harun told that, “A case cannot be filed in a civil court by personally blaming a magistrate or collectorate for his or her judicial deeds. That was instructed by the Cabinet Division. It is not clear at this time what would happen, but we are working on it sincerely”.
Helaluddin Ahmed, president of the Administrative Service Association and senior secretary of the Department of Local government, said the government has given the power to transfer and deploy UpazilaNirbahi Officers (UNOs) to the divisional commissioners to bring dynamism in the field administration and proper manpower management.
