Thiruvananthapuram: The General Administration Department (GAD) has tightened its grip over more departments and institutions of the Kerala Government. The powers which rested with the respective department heads for years together, including the appointment, transfer and promotion of the staff, have been completely transferred to the Administrative Officers with the Secretariat, through an order issued by the Government.
The General Administration Department headed by the Chief Minister himself will now have complete authority over the Administrative Officers. With this, the General Administration Department would get control over even the portfolios allotted to the Ministers from other allies of the Left Democratic Front.
The Administrative officers are being given so much authority based on a report submitted by a committee convened by the Additional Chief Secretary of General Administration.
The General Administration Secretariat Officers appointed in the Government Departments and institutions including the Administrative Court officers, Senior Administrative Officers and Special officers would get more authority with this.
Joint Council, the CPI’s service organization, has come out against this move.
New responsibilities
The responsibilities of the Administrative Officers as per the order issued by General Administration Additional Chief Secretary V Venu are as follows:
a.) The responsibility of the Vigilance Chief:-
Overseeing appointments, transfers and promotions of the staff.
Overseeing matters related to the discipline of the staff.
Take action to ensure the release of the seniority list of the staff before January 1 every year.
Ensure Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meeting before December.
Handle administrative files in accordance with the rules and conditions preventing a situation leading to contempt of Court.
Responsible for the annual pay increment, leave, service book, pension, family pension etc of the Non-Gazetted staff.
b.) The responsibility of the Public Information Officer:
Matters related to the dependent appointments of the staff.
Responsibility for the Office operations of the department.
Matters on office staff and overseeing the cashbook .
Overseeing the Permanent Advance Register.
The authority of the documents to be submitted to the treasury.
The Department staff’s pay and other powers.
Reporting the vacancies to the PSC, and handling communications with the PSC regarding staff appointments.
Responsibility for the conduct and assessment, promotion, allowing higher grades, appointment regularization, and seniority of the freshly appointed staff. Reservation and sports quota appointments.
Implementation of the e-office operations.
Responsibility for punching, citizens charter and green protocol.
Submitting administrative reports to the Government.
Responsibility for the Right to Information documents and internal auditing.
Handling communications with the Legislative Assembly, Assembly committees and Accountant General (AG).
