NEW DELHI: A senior engineer from Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur division of South East Central Railway (SECR) was left shell-shocked after the Railway Board transferred him to the Northern Railway (NR) zone in Delhi just three days before his retirement.Expressing frustration at the transfer, KP Arya penned a letter to the Railway Board Secretary in which he termed the order "sheer madness".As per the transfer order, Arya is supposed to join the NR on a higher administrative grade (HAG) post on November 28, while his retirement is due on November 30."This order seems well in order at the surface, but when seen in the complete perspective of my imminent superannuation within a week on November 30, the madness shines brightly," Arya said, adding: "Because this is nothing but sheer madness only to transfer one employee, who has served the IR (Indian Railway) organisation his whole life, in the week of his superannuation so that his superannuation settlement gets disrupted and he gets harassed in the last days in the organisation."Arya told PTI that despite the presence of a vacant HAG post in the SECR zone, the Railway Board opted to transfer him to a similar vacant post in the NR zone.

The senior engineer criticised the decision, stating that he would work in NR headquarters, New Delhi, for just three days before retiring.

The Railways will pay me about Rs 3 lakh just as transfer money which is a complete waste of public money," Arya said.Although characterised as a promotional transfer, Arya asserted that it brought him no additional financial benefits.

He revealed that his promotion, delayed by about six months, had already entitled him to monetary benefits as per government norms.

Arya regarded the promotional transfer as a means of harassment, adding that he felt compelled to expose the alleged misconduct of Railway Board officials contributing to the series of challenges he faced."In the series of harassment being meted out to me, a professionally very very competent, honest and upright officer by a cabal of officials of dubious character … I found it my duty to expose the concerned Railway Board officials as I have always done.," the engineer said in his letter.(With inputs from agencies)