Transfer policy flayed

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 22

Days after the Education Department discreetly transferred many of the teachers in the Education Department, a letter seeking transfer applications from employees was released yesterday to seek transfer preferences from teachers. The letter, however, has angered the teachers of the department. The teachers have been asked to send their transfer preferences to the department by June 27.

While the Education Department released a list of conditions and guidelines, to be kept in mind by those applying for transfers, the staff, however, is left asking why the department is releasing a list after several transfer lists were already released.

While the transfer lists of some master cadre teachers, Hindi mistresses, Hindi masters had already been released, before this, the transfer lists of DEOs had also courted controversy as several officials had filed a case against the department on the issue for the violation of seniority guidelines in the postings of many teachers and principals as district education officers.

The department’s declaration regarding rationalisation also drew flak from teachers with several of the unions holding dharnas following which the department eventually issued orders putting the rationalisation on hold.

At the heart of the resentment to these moves is the belief among department teachers that the lists released so far were politically motivated and further transfers would also be done keeping in mind the departmental preferences rather than any special considerations to teachers’ choices.

A Jalandhar-based teacher said, “Five lists were already released. No one was called, no forms sought before these were done. Some lucky ones got to change their stations even as a hoard of teachers across the state have been posted at far away village schools for a long time. A lot of genuine places never got hearing. In such a scenario, resentment is bound to simmer.”

The transfer policy letter released by the department yesterday has several guidelines. Employees have been asked to submit three options regarding their choicest place of transfer; the transfer shall only be done to a school with an empty post; no posting shall be held at a school where one or more posts are already surplus; any teachers already transferred on administration basis in the past three years won’t be considered for transfers; special considerations for the fact that at least two teachers are left in a primary/middle school after postings; no science/commerce group teacher to be shifted until suitable substitute is sought in their place; no reprieve on the condition of stay on the transfers of newly appointed teachers. Special preferences shall be given to employees who are handicapped, unmarried or widowed women, divorcee or cancer stricken, army wives, people with a child suffering from a mental illness, couples seeking same station.