The government has already elevated 18 additional secretaries to the post of full-fledged secretary and more are on the cards.

A list of around 475 senior assistant secretaries, around 275 deputy secretaries and around 200 joint secretaries has been prepared for promotion to the immediate higher posts.

The list was prepared on the basis of positive reports from intelligence agencies and the now defunct anti-corruption bureau, sources said, adding that the government will also promote a good number of officials, who are on the verge of retirement, on humanitarian ground.

The government has plans to complete the promotion to the posts of deputy secretary and joint secretary by March.

Another haul of promotion to the post of additional secretary will take place in August when the joint secretaries of 1981 batch fulfil the promotion criteria.

Government ministers claimed that the plan to give large-scale promotion is aimed at removing backlog in the administration.

However, sources said the planned massive promotion in the civil and police administration is mainly to set pro-government officials from field to top levels of the administration in time, so that the future caretaker government does not get any chance for massive reshuffle.

Meantime, the government approved a decision that no official can be transferred until completion of a three-year term in one station, they said, adding that a high-powered committee has also been formed to review if any officer is required to transfer before three years.