HAL lands on muddy tarmac with transfer of officers

* HR officials accused of adopting pick 'n' choose policy
* Routine affair and nothing abnormal: HR director

Photo for representative purpose only.

By Anantha Krishnan M
Express News Service

Bangalore: Plane-maker Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has landed on the wrong side of the runway with its latest transfer policy, triggering unrest among officers across the company. Insiders accuse HAL chairman R K Tyagi for clearing the transfer script, which according to them, is unscientific and ill-timed. HAL's Human Resources (HR) director V M Chamola, however, said 'all is well,' terming the transfers as normal, and part of annual job rotation.
Express spoke to many officers after receiving a tip-off from an anonymous email which blamed HAL for being biased with the current transfers. “More than a normal transfer, I feel it's like a barter deal between various divisions. There's no logic behind these transfers and it is definitely done by adopting a choose-and-pick policy,” a Grade-VI officer said. “Anyone who has questioned the policies of HAL has been put on the hit-list. If job rotation was the genuine criteria, why is that many officers in the Corporate Office (CO) in Bangalore are still untouched even after 12 years. These transfers are being done at the whims and fancies of senior HR officials at CO,” another officer, who spoke from Hyderabad, said.
After initiating the first batch of transfers, HAL CO issued a circular (dated June 3, 2013) asking for the details of all officers working in sensitive areas for more than five years. “While deciding job rotation, there is a need to ensure that all officers are rotated uniformally and officers' aptitude and competences are also taken into consideration,” states a 2007 HR policy of HAL. It also states that individual concerns like education of children, employment of spouse, competence and health of spouse\children should be taken into account while the transfers are made. But, the officers blame HAL for overturning the rule book, causing heartburn.
Responding to the allegations raised by officers, Chamola claimed that there were no mass transfers in HAL. “We have transferred only 104 officers this year as part of the job rotation, compared to 106 last year. It is an annual feature and whenever people are moved out, there will be heartburn,” he said. When asked about whether the morale of the workhorse is dented with these transfers, Chamola said: “It is done based on some guideline and and needs. Almost 90 per cent of these transfers are based on the requirements of the company.” He refused to comment when asked whether HAL's projects will further get delayed with the transfers.
A top source in HAL's vigilance department said that another 200 to 300 people have been identified to be transferred in the second batch. “A committee is already formed under a director to look into those working at one centre for more than 15 years. And the next batch of transfers could be based on geographical locations,” the source said.

Copyright@The New Indian Express

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