Chief Minister Pema Khandu has assured that out-of-turn promotions on officiating or ad hoc basis would be cancelled. The statement of the CM that promotion should be strictly on the basis of seniority and as per norms is a welcome one. For a long time, this has been one of the pressing demands of various NGOs in the state. Especially in the works departments, this culture of appointing officers on officiating or ad hoc basis is prevalent. This deprives the genuine officers who are due for promotion.
In many departments, the officials who have political connections supersede the seniors and get posted in plump positions. This kind of action not only demoralises the hardworking government officials but also exposes the nepotism and corrupt practices in the system. This is also one of the main causes of corruption in the state. Many times, these officials pay huge money to get posted on an officiating basis. Now that the CM has assured to cancel the out-of-turn promotions on officiating or ad hoc basis, the whole state will be waiting to see him turn word into action. Apart from cancelling such out-of-turn promotions, the CM also should ensure that DPC meetings are regularly conducted by the departments. The promotions which are due should be on time. The officials should not be denied their turn of promotions due to delays in conducting DPC meetings.