LUCKNOW, June 21 -- The removal of two senior IAS officers - director (administration), medical and health services Bhawani Singh Khangarot and inspector-general (registration) Sameer Verma - from their posts on Wednesday has brought the tussle between ministers and department heads over transfers of employees out in the open. Transfers of employees in the stamp and registration, health, basic education, animal husbandry, forest, agriculture, transport departments and the PWD were put on hold by the state government after allegations of irregularities and corruption. In various departments, ministers and HoDs were at loggerheads over transfer of employees. Alleging that the transfer list was released without their consent, ministers shot off a letter to the HoDs, directing them to take their nod before releasing the transfer list. Minister of state for stamp and registration (independent charge), Ravindra Jaiswal sought the chief minister's intervention in the transfer of sub-registrars and junior assistants in the department. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath ordered immediate ban on all transfers and a probe into the matter. Earlier, deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak had objected to anomalies in the transfer of medical officers in the health department. Senior officers were directed to follow the transfer rules and send the transfer list to the health minister's office before releasing it. Amidst the uproar over transfers, opposition parties attacked the state government, alleging large- scale corruption in transfers of employees. In a post on X, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav stated: "Those who did not get a share in the transfer are telling the story by revealing the secret. The truth is that many ministers have returned the transfer file for not receiving the 'fee'. It was heard that the engine demands fuel, but here even the coach is busy arranging for its fuel." BSP chief Mayawati said: "Like most states of the country, in Uttar Pradesh too, along with government activities at every level, there is a continuous discussion and news of transfers surrounded by allegations of corruption and collusion in various departments." "It is necessary for the chief minister to take strict cognizance, and not only activate the anti-corruption vigilance department etc, but also constitute a time-bound SIT and make necessary improvements in the system in the interest of the people and the country. The sooner the chief minister takes strict action against government corruption and malicious arbitrariness of officers, the better," she added. Uttar Pradesh's transfer season commenced from May 15 after the approval of the state's transfer policy for the year 2025-26 by the state cabinet on May 6. An order stated that the annual transfers will remain effective for a month till June 15. The transfer policy states that transfer of Group B, C and D employees will be done by department heads, but they should discuss these with the minister and take approval. The department heads were also directed to invite online transfer applications from employees and upload transfer details on the Manav Sampada portal. Uttar Pradesh State Employees' Joint Council president JN Tewari said the transfer policy issued by the chief secretary and principal secretary (personnel) was flouted by officers of various departments by sidelining the online based transfer of state government employees. The council shot off a letter to the chief minister demanding review of the transfer policy, investigation into the irregularities and strict action against the culprits, he said. The state government cancelled more than 1,000 transfers in a dozen departments, including registration, homeopathy, basic education, health, forest, animal husbandry, education, stamp registration, agriculture and the transfer session was nullified in these departments as well, he added. The Uttar Pradesh government ordered a probe into the irregularities in transfer of employees in various departments and action will be taken against erring officers, said a state government officer....