The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has faced embarrassment after it was discovered that transfer orders were issued for employees who had either died or were under suspension. The lapse came to light on Friday when a transfer order listed the names of two deceased junior engineers and another junior engineer who has been under suspension since last year.
Details of the Error
The initial order included the name of junior engineer Apurv Bhatnagar, who died several months ago, and another deceased engineer named Prateek, both slated for transfer to a different zone or department. Additionally, the name of suspended junior engineer Gaurav Garg was also on the list, according to an official. The errors were partially repeated in a corrective order issued later that day.
Response to Criticism
Following criticism from opposition councillors and questions over the apparent lack of verification, the department issued a third order on Friday evening, keeping all previous transfer and posting orders in abeyance due to administrative reasons. The Times of India reviewed the document, which confirmed that all transfer orders issued earlier in the day had been withdrawn pending verification.
After the discrepancies were pointed out, the engineering department initially issued a revised order withdrawing the transfers of only two officials, Bhatnagar and Atul Kumar Suman, a civil junior engineer, claimed AAP councillor and leader of the opposition in MCD Ankush Narang. However, the revised withdrawal order did not mention the names of the other two officials from the original list.
Political Reaction
Sharing copies of the orders on X, Narang alleged that the episode exposed serious administrative lapses within the civic body and demanded an inquiry. He also questioned how the mistake went unnoticed despite the order carrying the signature of the additional deputy commissioner. “Departmental action should be taken against the responsible officials. A digital verification system should be implemented to prevent such incidents in the future. The lapse reflects the state to which the administrative system has deteriorated,” Narang said.
Official Explanation
A municipal official attributed the issue to human error and said corrective action was initiated as soon as the lapse came to notice. He added that all transfer orders had been put on hold and a fresh verification exercise would be carried out before taking any further action.
