UP: Namami Gange department conducts transparent digital transfer drive, 170 officials shifted

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh government's Namami Gange and rural water supply department on Friday carried out large-scale transfers through a fully transparent and digital process aimed at eliminating corruption and human interference.Under the supervision of jal shakti minister Swatantra Dev Singh, officials and employees were allotted postings based on merit and preference in an open selection process conducted before ministers and senior officers.A total of 170 officials and staff members were transferred, including 131 from rural water supply department, 28 from the minor irrigation department, and 11 from the groundwater department. The transfers covered two chief engineers, 15 superintending engineers, 35 executive engineers, 40 assistant engineers, and 78 junior engineers.To ensure transparency, the department installed eight digital screens displaying vacant districts. Officials were called one by one to choose available postings, which were immediately locked into the system. Transfer letters were then sent directly to their mobile phones within seconds.Employees unable to attend physically were allowed to participate online and present their choices live before senior officials and ministers.According to the department, seniority and work performance were assessed through Key Performance Index (KPI) scores, which formed the basis of the transfer process.Additional chief secretary Anurag Srivastava said the initiative reflects Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s zero-tolerance approach towards corruption and has boosted confidence among employees.Officials described the exercise as a major step towards transparent governance in the state’s water management departments.