Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 29: Alleging wholesale transfers of teaching staff by the Education Department in violation of the transfer policy, NPP chairman and former Minister Harshdev Singh has sought the attention of the Chief Minister in view of large scale resentment brewing amongst the teaching community.
In a press statement, NPP leader said that the Education Department had issued a transfer policy last year prescribing the schedule for transfers in summer and winter zones, minimum and maximum period of stay in one particular institution, norms for transfers in zone-III areas, criteria for husband wife employees’ postings and norms for posting of those at the verge of retirement.
Accusing the Govt of blatant circumvention of the approved transfer policy, Mr Singh said that the transfers continued to be made on whims and fancies besides other extraneous considerations in the said Department. He said that it was scandalous that wholesale orders of transfers, attachments, modifications, besides violation of approved schedules of summer and winter zones were effected under bureaucratic and political pressure besides other considerations even after the cautionary notes of the CM thus exhibiting the chaotic State of affairs in the Department.
Mr Singh further pointed out that in reply to an RTI filed by him, the Education Department has provided a list of several hundreds of teachers who stay at their present places for more than 5 years. He further said that reply indicated hundreds of teachers having a stay of more than 10 years at present places of postings which had obviously been managed by them by dubious means. He said that RTI replies further revealed the embezzlements of SSA and RMSA funds in various districts particularly Udhampur with no action have been initiated against the offenders.