In Odisha --- and I would presume this malady could be prevailing elsewhere too ---- I had witnessed, while working in the Government, tremendous wastage of time and resources in facing and handling requests for transfer of government employees, emanating not necessarily always from the concerned employees; but through different routes ranging from suffering wives; politicians to your friends . Reluctance to move even short distance, say, from Jagatsinhpur to Kendrapara; or from Cuttack to Baleshwar was mind boggling and one had to waste a lot of time in dealing with such cases.
The bizarre situation was, however, mercifully not without a few sparks of comedy. I remember two such cases. While I was the Director of Community Development ( Now Panchayati Raj ) Department, I got a phone call from the Minister while I was working on a complicated issue in a a thick file. He suggested transfer of someone from one place (X) to another(Y) . I said I had taken note of Minister's suggestion and soon thereafter resumed studying the file. After a short interlude of peace, the phone rang again and I spoke to the Minister. He was apologetic. "Mr Mishra, you appreciate our plight; we have to see so many visitors and take note of their requests." He said. I liked his tone-- one of sincerity and fatigue. He continued, "I just spoke to you about that official's transfer from X to Y. Actually he is at Y and needs to be posted to X ". I promptly assured him that the changed request has been taken note of and soon returned to my file. By the time the file was disposed of, I had totally forgotten about both X and Y. Minister never asked me if his request had been complied with.
The other incident related to a senior government officer who thought that since he was born at Cuttack, he should have the entire service career of about 35 years spent also in that ancient city. But as ill luck would have it, he was transferred to the Planning & Coordination Department in the Secretariat for which he had to leave Cuttack and come to Bhubaneswar. This calamity struck him when he was approaching his retirement. This hazard was, therefore. too severe to bear. He was sulking and complaining. He was commuting between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Then suddenly one day he was bitten by a stray dog, fortunately, in his home town. He was happy because he could be on leave and stay at Cuttack. But, like every good thing, this pleasant period also must come to an end. And it did come to an end. He had to make his appearance in the Secretariat. His colleagues sympathised and cursed that beast for having caused great harm to such a noble man.
He was furious at the sympathisers. " Do not vilify that noble animal, he shouted. " He was no one else other than that great Dog that had accompanied Yudhistira on his journey to heaven. His kind contact with me only had enabled me to stay at my home town for a fortnight", he said.
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29th August, 2012
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