Chandigarh, January 2: To make the process of transfers more rational and transparent, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday approved the Online Transfer Policy-2019 of the School Education Department, thus ensuring equal opportunity for all employees using online method for seeking transfers.
The transfer policy would become effective from academic session 2019-20 i.e. April 1, 2019, according to an official spokesperson, who said the Chief Minister had asked all departments to come up with performance-based review policy for transfer of employees.
The policy would be applicable to all teaching cadre posts i.e. ETT, HT, CHT, Master, C&V, Lecturer, Vocational Masters, Principals and Headmasters, except employees on extension of services after attaining the age of superannuation. Posts of Ministerial cadre, Block Officers, District Officers, Principal DIETs shall not be covered under the policy.
The condition that the teachers would be compulsorily transferred after seven years of service in a particular zone/school has been removed. The earlier condition of having three-year minimum stay at one particular station before a teacher can put a request to get himself or herself transferred has been now changed to one year, but for newly-appointed teachers the minimum stay at one place will be three years.
However, newly-married female teachers could seek transfer once in these three years if they get married after appointment.
Cancer patients/patients on dialysis, those with over 60% disability, hepatitis B & C, sickle cell anemia, Thalassemia, divorced/ persons having differently-abled children or mentally challenged children/war widow/widow of Shaheed/where death of the spouse makes it necessary for the serving employee to relocate to another place immediately and having children below 15 years of age or teachers who are spouses of armed force personal, who have been posted in difficult areas, may put in request for transfer any time during the year and the same shall be considered by the department on merit.
In case of a complaint or on account of poor performance, teachers could be transferred at any point of time on administrative grounds. There will be two rounds of transfers. After the first round of transfers, the eligible teachers could apply for transfers against the vacancies created due to transfers in the first round.
In case any relative of the teacher is running any private school or any of them is a member of the management committee of such school, whether affiliated or not, within a radius of 15 km from the school of posting his/her then he/she will be transferred to a school which is not located within a radius of 15 km of that private school.
Teachers shall not bring in any outside influence and if such an influence from whichever source espousing the cause of teacher is received, it shall be presumed that the same has been brought in by the teacher.
The request of such a teacher shall not be considered and action may also be initiated against such a teacher under relevant Service Rules/Employees Conduct Rules and an entry to this effect shall be made in his/her service record.
As per the policy, 20 marks may be assigned to teachers seeking transfer from schools located within Municipal area of city of District Headquarters, schools located within 10 km radius starting from the boundary of Municipal Area of city of District Headquarters and schools located in city/town of Tehsil Headquarters, as well as schools lying within 5 km radius starting from boundary of municipal limits except those which are co-located with District Headquarters to schools located on State Highways or National Highways (schools within distance of 250 meter from State and National Highways including) and all remaining schools not covered in the above categories.
Marks have been awarded to teachers suffering from diseases like thalassemia, sickle cell anaemia, Hepatitis B & C. Likewise, marks have been awarded to teachers if both husband and wife are working in State/Central Government or PSU and distance between their places of posting is more than 15 km.
