Teacher transfers go online in Punjab

Wednesday, 26/06/2019

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CHANDIGARH : After a delay of two years, the Punjab government on Tuesday finally notified the performance-linked transfer policy for 90,000 schoolteachers in the state.

The teacher transfers under the new policy, which gives preference to teachers with good results and those who send their wards to government schools, will go online immediately. “The policy will cover all cadre posts, including lecturer, master, vocational master, classical and vernacular language (C&V) and elementary teacher training (ETT) except employees on extension of services after attaining the age of superannuation,” school education minister Vijay Inder Singla said while announcing the new implementation of the transfer policy at a press conference here.

Singla, who took charge of the school education department two weeks ago, said the transfer policy would not cover the posts of school principals, headmasters, district officers, block officers, ministerial cadre and non-teaching staff.

“Minimum stay at a particular school for seeking transfer shall be two years. In case of newly appointed teachers, it will be three years or probation period whichever is earlier,” he said.

Singla was accompanied by secretary, school education, Krishan Kumar, Punjab School Education Board chairman Manohar Kant Kalohia and other senior officers of the department.

However, his predecessor OP Soni, who assumed charge of his new medical education portfolio on Tuesday, said there was no need to make a formal announcement regarding the notification. “I had already approved the file relating to notification, but the bureaucracy delayed it,” he said.

‘OPTIMAL USE OF TEACHING STAFF’

The policy, which aims to distribute human resources in an optimal manner to protect academic interest of students and maximise job satisfaction amongst employees, also warns teachers against using outside influence for postings.

The online transfer policy was first conceived in 2017, but was hanging fire since due to difference of opinion between the ministers and the bureaucracy. It first ran into trouble with the school teachers’ unions who vehemently opposed two clauses relating to seven-year cap on stay in a school and minimum stay of three years before a teacher become eligible to seek transfer. The state cabinet passed an amended policy in January 2019, but then the notification took time. On being asked about the reported reluctance of his predecessors, Aruna Chaudhary and OP Soni, regarding the transfer policy, Singla said he was not aware why they did not adopt it.

“The cabinet had approved it several months ago and chief minister is absolutely clear on its implementation to carry out transfer of transfers in a fair and transparent manner,” he said. Under the policy, transfers will be carried out once in a year on the basis of a point system, except in cases of administrative exigency. Teachers will be awarded points on age, length of service, performance, special categories, etc. The teacher with highest points will be entitled to be transferred against a particular vacancy as per his or her preference.