The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh yesterday approved Online Transfer Policy 2019 for school teachers, following which teachers are allowed to put up a request for a transfer within one year of their appointment instead of three minimum years service before a transfer.
Morcha convener Sukhwinder Chahal said: “Scrapping the policy of mandatory transfer is a welcome step. We are yet to go through the details of the new policy, but the rule of mandatory transfer would not have served any academic goal.”
A senior officer, requesting anonymity, said: “We had opposed the policy of compulsory transfers when it was introduced earlier last year. Teaching is not like a clerical job. Longer societal contact is not detrimental to the teaching profession. In fact, the exercise of compulsory transfer of 1.12 lakh staff every seven years would have led to corruption in the system.”
Earlier the condition of having a transfer was to serve three minimum years towards the job to be able to request a transfer. Now it has been changed to one year, the teachers can request for a transfer whenever they want.
The Transfer Policy will come into practice from the academic session 2019-20. The Policy would be applicable to all teaching posts which include ETT, HT, CHT, Master, C&V, Lecturer, Vocational Masters, Principals, and Headmasters.
However, newly-married female teachers could seek transfer once in these three years if they get married after the appointment.
Various unavoidable circumstances make 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 personnel, who have been posted in difficult areas, may put in a request for transfer any time during the year.