SAD(E) flip-flops on promotion: Typists

Victims say

(1) On September 28, 2010 the SAD(E) promoted 41 of them as senior grade typists against their demand.

(2) On October 19, 2012 SAD(E) issued a notification spelling out that for promotion to the post of junior administrative assistant a typist has to work for at least four years as a senior grade typist

(3) Only ten of them were promoted as junior administrative assistant violating the four-year norm as senior grade typists.

(4) SAD(E) issued another notification on February 20, 2015 saying that the criterion of four-year service as computer operators for promotion to junior administrative assistant was relaxable.

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, May 29: "This is really a hell of a mess the Secretariat Administration Department (Establishment) has gotten us into," says a section of Assam Secretariat typists who were appointed as ordiry grade typists in 1992.

As many as 264 ordiry grade typists were appointed in the State Secretariat in 1992, and some of whom were promoted later. Those who were left out, according to a section of typists, then raised the demand for their promotion as junior administrative assistants. As though to block their promotion to the post they demanded, on September 28, 2010 the SAD(E) promoted 41 of them as senior grade typists against their demand for the post of junior administrative assistant.

On October 19, 2012 SAD(E) issued a notification spelling out that for promotion to the post of junior administrative assistant a typist has to work for at least four years as a senior grade typist. The existing senior grade typists who had got their appointment in 1987 to 1992 were, however,  exempted from this notification. This notification barred  even the senior grade typists who were yet to complete four years in the post they were holding, let alone the general grade typists who, they say, were discrimited against by the SAD in their promotion.  

However, on March 2, 2013, the SAD violated its own rule and promoted as many as ten senior grade typists, who were yet to complete the stipulated four-year service as senior grade typists, to the post of junior administrative assistant. The 31 other left out senior grade typists now feel that they have been discrimited against by the SAD(E) that changes the promotion rules every now and then so as serve its  purpose. They rue the fact that even as there over 65 posts of junior administrative assistants, according to sources, lying vacant in various departments, the SAD(E) is not ready to promote them. As though to justify its violation of the promotion rule (the criterion of completion of four years as senior grade typists) the SAD(E) issued yet another notification on February 20, 2015 saying that the criterion of four-year service as senior grade typist for promotion to junior administrative assistant was relaxable.        

The 31 senior grade typists, who were discrimited against  by the SAD(E), have completed their four-year service in the post they have been holding. The SAD(E), however, is still reluctant to promote them for reasons best known to it. This, the 31 senior grade typists allege, is despite the fact that there are over 65 posts of junior administrative assistant lying vacant, and the repeated pleas to the Chairman, Selection Committee, SA(E), and the Chief Secretary. Now they are ready to move the Chief Minister and Additiol Chief Secretary MGVK Bhanu.