Fixed term for DMs, SPs

POLITICAL BOSSES peremptorily transferring civil servants who don't toe the line could soon become a thing of the past. The government is considering a proposal to incorporate a fixed tenure clause in the new civil service law being drafted at the Centre. If cleared, collectors and police chiefs may get a tenure of at least two years.

Last May, PM Manmohan Singh had acknowledged that frequent transfers had a demoralising effect on officers and affected governance. “Short tenures do not produce accountable results," he told a conference of district collectors and promised to find a way to deal with the "pernicious phenomena".

If the proposal gets through, Singh may be able to deliver more than he promised. Incorporating fixed tenure in the civil service law will keep the "transfer industry" in states in check.