The Royal Civil Service Commission withheld the promotions of 53 civil servants serving in Pema Gatshel. This happened after the district’s Human Resource office failed to submit the documents of those civil servants in the RCSC’s Zhiyog Electronic System before the deadline.
The civil servants, the majority of whom are teachers in various schools of the district were due for promotion in July.
BBS learnt that all 53 of them had submitted the required documents by May 20. But the HR office delayed submitting the documents on the RCSC’s online system.
As per a source, the Human Resource Officer was engaged in virtual training for the Assistant Administrative Officers of the district.
The Human Resource Division and other sector heads of the district had appealed to the RCSC to reconsider the decision.
However, the RCSC said it received the appeal only on July 5. Citing the Bhutan Civil Service Rules and Regulations 2018, the commission said for those due for promotion in July, the agencies should complete the due process by June 15.
The process includes submission of all documents by the individual, verification of documents by the HR Section, deliberation and approval of the promotion in the Human Resource Committee of the agency.
And by June 25, all the approved promotion has to be uploaded into the system. However, for the case on hand, the Agency failed to process the promotion within the stipulated timelines.
According to the Commission, it is mandated to ensure that uniform rules prevail throughout the civil service be it recruitment, appointment, staffing, training, transfers, and promotion among others.
The commission also stated that the authorities responsible shall be accountable for administrative actions. In the current case, it is a delegated function whereby the Human Resource Committee of the Agency is empowered to grant promotion.
Therefore, the commission has imposed administrative sanctions on the Human Resource Committee members ranging from reprimands to major penalties.
As per sources, the RCSC decided to withhold the increment of the district’s HR officer and the officiating Dzongda for three years.
Thinley Dorji, Pema Gatshel
Edited by Phub Gyem