Terming the news item regarding transfers in ISM Department appearing in a local English daily on November 21/22 as false and concocted, the Director ISM today said it smacks of a malicious campaign aimed at tarnishing the image of the department.“Few transfers made in ISM Department with the prior approval of the Minister for Health & Medical Education and Principal Secretary to Government Health & Medical Education Department have been sensationalized by the newspaper in a scandalous manner,” Director ISM said in a statement issued here today.He said the assertion made in the news report that 13 Assistant Directors and ADMOs have been transferred without competence is completely concocted and misconceived. “As a matter of fact only four I/c ADMOs and equivalent who are substantively holding the post of Medical Officers namely Dr SK Pandita had a stay of 4 years & 6 months, Dr Rakesh Kumar Raina had a stay of 8 years & 4 months, Dr Syed Hyder Shah had a stay of 5 years & 10 months and Dr Sujad Hussain Shuja had a stay of 5 years & 10 months and were transferred in the interest of administration and with the prior approval of Minister for Health & Medical Education and Principal Secretary to Government Health & Medical Education Department,” the statement said adding that these material facts have been suppressed which speaks volumes about the motive behind the news item.It sad as per Schedule 1-C of Civil Services Regulation Vol 11 1956 with reference to Article 339 (Item 98), a Major HoD is competent to transfer an officer whose scale of pay does not exceed Rs 1000(Pre-revised). The pay scale of post of Assistant District Medical officer (ISM) as per Civil service (pre-revised pay) Rules 1973 is 250-550 revised to 475-850 (Pre-revised).According to the statement the transfer order was duly served upon the transferees who all joined at their new places of posting. “It is not correct that these transfers have been made without competence,” it said adding that transfer is always as an incident of service and not punishment. “A Government servant holding a transferable post is liable to be transferred from one place to another which is an incidence of service and does not affect or alter his terms and conditions of service,” it said adding it is a prerogative of an employer to judge where the services of an employee are required in the best interest of the administration.