HP mulls Act to regulate transfer of teachers

SHIMLA: Aimed at strengthening educational institutions in the state, the Him ac hal Pradesh government is planning to bring a law in the budget session of the Vidhan Sabha, which will regulate the transfer of teachers.

The budget session is scheduled to begin by the end of next month.

Education minister Suresh Bhardwaj has reportedly directed the department to take steps in the direction and has also sought suggestions for improving functioning of the department in the state as exodus of children from government schools has been a worrying factor for successive government.

The education department has also called a meeting of stakeholders, including teacher unions in the state, parents, academicians to seek suggestions in this regard. THE TRANSFER POLICY The transfer policy for government teachers, which was introduced in 2011, was framed to ensure their availability in schools across the state. The policy provided a posting tenure of three academic years, with the first posting preferably being in tribal and hard areas of the state.

Also, those who managed to remain posted in urban areas, were to be posted to rural, remote, tribal or difficult areas during the transfer season. It also made it mandatory for teachers to serve outside radius of 25 km away from home stations.

Barring general transfers in academic season, it envisaged that transfers will be ordered in April and there will be a ban on from the last day of April and added that during rest of the year teachers will only be transferred with prior approval of the CM.

Over years, both Virbhadra Singh-led government and the B JP government overlooked provisions of the policy and transfer guidelines with majority of teachers serving close to their home stations.

The act is, however, likely to make provision for giving relaxation to physically impaired, those suffering from diseases and employees who have crossed 55 years of age.