More than 200 CB staff transferred; Governor says it’s ‘routine’
View(s):More than 200 officers and minor staff were transferred within the Central Bank (CB) on Thursday which Governor Arjuna Mahendran says is routine but has raised concerns amongst staff. Earlier on September 18, a batch of 15 senior officers were served with transfer orders including officials who had given evidence in the Central Bank bond probe by the Parliamentary Select Committee. On Thursday the transfer list was as follows: 13 senior staff officers, 75 staff officers, 66 non staff class and 85 minor employees. This is believed to have resulted in 1/2 officers sending in their papers for retirement in disgust. “These are routine transfers that had been delayed due to elections, etc,” Mr. Mahendran told reporters at a media briefing on Monday, denying there was any other motive.
He also denied that, as reported by the Sunday Times, that he ‘walked’ into a meeting uninvited when 30 senior staff members including Assistant Governors were discussing their concerns over the transfers. He said he had a cordial meeting but the paper stands by its story that there had been a confrontation, as confirmed on Friday by a senior high-ranking official who was present at the meeting.The Governor also strenuously denied reports of alleged phone tapping of calls between market participants and CB officials.
Insiders say that some of the transfers were of officials the Governor had an issue with in terms of trust, which is contrary to his pronouncements when he was appointed that the CB has an excellent staff which has not been given their due place due to politics.
The Central Bank’s Director of Human Resources’ circular with reference to 13 senior staffers being transferred doesn’t refer to ‘an annual rotation’ exercise, whereas three other circulars said this was the ‘Annual Job Rotation which was postponed due to the General Election 2015”.
The 13 senior staffers were: T.M.Z. Mutaliph as Additional Director/Financial Sector Research Department from Addl. Director/CMD; T.D.H. Karunarathne as Additional Director/Communications Department from Addl. Superintendent/CRD; Ms. A.G. A.S. Jayaratna s Deputy Superintendent/Employees’ Provident Fund from Deputy Director/TDD Department; R.D.W. Pallegama as Deputy Director/Bank Supervision Department from Deputy Director/SNBFI; Y.P. Jayasena as Deputy Superintendent/Public Debt Department from Deputy Director/STD; Ms. D.M.N.T. Sandagiri as Deputy Chief Accountant/Finance Department from Deputy Director/BSD; G.D.P.D. Jayathilake as Deputy Director/Human Resources Department from Deputy Superintendent/PDD; J.P. Gamalath as Deputy Superintendent/Employees’ Provident Fund from Deputy Director/IOD Department; H.D. Ajith as Deputy Director/Supervision of Non-Bank Financial from Deputy Chief Accountant/FD Institutions Department; H. M. Premadasa as Deputy Superintendent/Currency Department from Deputy Director/CMD; G.K.K. Gamage as Deputy Director/Communications Department from Deputy Superintendent/CRD; K.S.A. K. Senanayake as Deputy Director/Statistics Department from Deputy Director/RDD; J.D.S.J. Nanayakkara as Deputy Director/International Operations Department from Deputy Superintendent/EPF.