By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
DEHRADUN, 2 Jul: The implementation of a cap of 15 percent on transfers in government departments this year has created confusion in the Secondary Education Department. Earlier when this cap was not in force, it was expected that 7, 990 LT grade teachers in government schools would be transferred this year. However with a cap of 15 percent coming in force, the number of transfers of LT teachers is likely to come down to just 525, given the fact that there were 3,500 vacant posts in the LT grade. Had there been no vacancy, then with the cap of 15 percent, around 3,500 LT teachers would have been transferred this session. It may be recalled that this year, only essential transfers are being permitted and they too have been capped at 15 percent of the strength.
But now only 525 LT grade teachers will come under the ambit of transfer. Whereas only 673 Lecturer grade teachers will be facing transfers given the fact that there are at present 4,490 vacant posts in the Lecturer grade. Sources claimed that the teachers were not happy with the government decision. Kamal Kishore Dimri, the outgoing president of the Government Teachers Association, said that since the transfer law has come into force, even the transfers have been ordered. In the recent past though there was no cap in place on transfers, in reality, the government had been limiting the transfers to just ten percent and as a result, many of the teachers on remote postings for long had also not been able to get themselves transferred to convenient locations. He demanded removal of the cap on transfers so that maximum teachers could benefit. Raghuveer Singh Pundir, President of Junior High School Teachers Association said that the standard of 15 percent was unfair to the teachers posted in the hills as many of them had been serving in difficult terrains for over 20 years now. The cap was not justified when there were so many vacancies in the department.