New Transfer Policy for Teachers

Bijender Sharma/Shimla
The State Government has formulated a transfer policy for teachers in Education Department. The policy aimed at ensuring availability of teachers during the academic session, availability of teachers in the educational institutions situated in rural, hard, difficult and tribal areas and to facilitate appropriate deployment of teachers in the educational institutions.

The new transfer policy of teachers envisaged normal posting period of all categories of teachers of three academic years, however, this will be subject to continued good performance and administrative requirements. The normal stay in case of first appointments in tribal, difficult, hard and rural areas shall be five years.

It was also envisaged under the policy that the first posting/appointment shall be preferably in the Tribal/hard areas of the State of district concerned. It should also be ensured that the employees who have already served in tribal/difficult area are not again sent to these areas and there is a continuous process of change whereby all the employees have a chance to serve in tribal/difficult areas and measures shall be taken to ensure that employees who have managed to remain posted in the Urban Areas/cities are posted to rural/remote areas and tribal/difficult areas in the transfer season.

For transfer purpose, continuous service within the radius of 25 kms. in urban areas and 15 kms. in rural areas shall be clubbed for counting the stay of teachers for the purpose of transfer. General transfers shall normally be ordered in the month of April. There will be ban on transfers after 30th April. After 30th April transfers can be ordered with the prior approval of Chief Minister under circumstances such as due to promotion, retirement, death, deputation, resignation, suspension, proceeding on long leave of a teacher, due to creation, abolition of shifting of post on rationalisation, on the basis of complaint after verifying facts, due to poor academic performance/misconduct, from institutions of lower enrolment to institutions of higher student enrolments.

It has also been kept in the policy that controlling officer would ensure that in the event of a teacher being transferred, the transferred teacher shall join duty only when the person occupying the post is relieved first, only thereafter, the joining the incumbent shall be accepted. In the event of the transfer of Controlling Officer himself he/she shall be deemed relived on the submission of joining report by the other incumbent. If the controlling officer does not comply with this procedure, the salary of surplus incumbent will be drawn from the salary of the Controlling Officer.

Under new policy, in case of couple serving the State Government, the department will make efforts to accommodate either spouse at the same/nearby place in rural areas only, subject to availability of suitable vacancy. In case of widows having minor children, the department will make effort to accommodate them at a convenient place as far as possible, subject to availability of vacancy, the wives of officers/officials of serving Armed Forces/Central Para Military Forces will as far as possible, be posted/appointed at convenient places subject to availability of vacancy. Teachers with 70% or more disability will be given road side stations subject to availability of vacancy, in the case of teachers likely to retire within two years, efforts will be made to post them near their native place subject to availability of vacancy. This provision will not be applicable to Class-I, II and teaching staff working on administrative posts.