Tribunal tells Edu Dept to file reply by December 9

CHANDIGARH: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) today issued a notice to the Education Department, directing it to file a reply by December 9 on the petition by former District Education Officer (DEO) Anujit Kaur regarding stay on her transfer.

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 29

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) today issued a notice to the Education Department, directing it to file a reply by December 9 on the petition by former District Education Officer (DEO) Anujit Kaur regarding stay on her transfer.

Anujit Kaur was transferred from the post of the Chandigarh DEO to the Deputy Director of Adult Education on November 26. A petition requesting a stay on the transfer orders was filed by her on November 27.

The Department has been asked to explain whether the post of Deputy Director Adult Education is cadre post or ex-cadre post. An ex-cadre post is meant for a specific purpose within the department and does not have scope for higher promotion.

Nodal Officer, Chandigarh Administration, Advocate Arvind Moudgil said: “We have opposed the request for stay on the transfer orders. Upon which, the counsel of the applicant (Anujit Kaur) has moved an application to make incumbent DEO (Alka Mehta) party to the case. The court has issued notice on that application.”

“We have also stated that as far as the promotion is concerned, one has the right to be considered for it. The seniority list of Principals is not yet finalised, and as and when the list will be finalised, the applicant will be considered for promotion,” said Moudgil.

Kaur, in her petition, has stated that “the ex-cadre post of the Deputy Director Adult Education and Deputy Director Vocational has not been included in the recruitment rules, and no incumbent of a cadre can be compelled to be posted against an ex-cadre post without his/her consent.” He has requested the CAT Bench that the Department should be directed to maintain status quo on her posting.

She also asked not to replace her with her junior (Alka Mehta) till the Department convenes a promotion committee meeting for filling the post on a regular basis.

Kaur claims she is the senior-most eligible candidate for the post of the DEO. She was officiating as the DEO for two years since 2017. Mehta was appointed as the officiating DEO on November 26.