New transfer policy: 1.5 yr posting in hills must
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, May 13 2022: The department of personnel and administrative reforms has notified a new policy for transfer and posting of employees of the state government.

An order issued in this regard by chief secretary Dr Rajesh Kumar stated that the new policy was implemented in order to ensure an effective, efficient and responsive regulation across the state, while taking care to minimise hardship faced by all employees due to frequent transfer and postings.

The policy will also ensure equitable distribution of government employees at different locations in fair and transparent manner and to maximise job satisfaction.

The policy shall be applicable to all employees working under the government and all its agencies, including PSUs, corporations, societies, agen cies and commissions among others.

Under the new policy, normal tenure of posting of an officer/employee in a post will be for minimum of one year and six months and maximum of three years in a place of posting.

No transfer may be effected unless the employee concerned has completed the minimum period in a post, unless there are compelling reasons/circumstances to do so.

Officials must be posted for a total period of not less than nine years in hill areas/difficult places during the entire service period.

This may be served successively or after breaks, as preferred by the official, subject to each stint being not less than the minimum period.

However, officials who are performing well and willing to serve longer in hill areas/difficult places may be allowed to serve for a period longer than three years.

Categorisation of places for the purpose of difficult postings will be made by the respective departments in consultation with the department of personnel.

IT-based manpower management system will be used to.

manage the transfer and postings of all employees.

As far as possible, officials may be posted in their home district, if the official so chooses, two years before their retirement so as to facilitate ease in processing pension matters.

Transfers shall normally be effected in the month of April/ May after the financial year is over so that disruption of work is minimal.

Government employees connected with the conduct of elections shall not be transferred without specific consultation with election department.

Transfer of teachers/lecturers of educational institutes shall normally be effected between the academic sessions, just after the closing sessions so that disruption of teaching/learning activities is avoided.

Whenever cadre posts are to be utilised by non-cadre officers/officials, the transfer and posting orders to such posts shall be issued by the controlling authority of the cadre post.

Officers/officials who do not belong to the said cadre will be deemed to be on deputation to the department to which the cadre post belongs.

Where both the husband and wife are in government service, they may be posted conveniently at the same station/district as far as possible, subject to availability of the post and keeping in view the interest of administration as well.

Physically challenged persons may be given convenient posting at their local stations, subject to availability of post.

Officials suffering from identified category of diseases may be given preferred places of posting, to enable the officer/official to function without affecting the responsibilities of the post.

As far as possible, the state government may provide for payment of incentive for serving at difficult postings, provided it is not the home district of the employee.

The period of deputation of officials from the Central government or other state governments who, are appointed to any post/service under this government on deputation shall normally not exceed three years, which may be extended for another two years in deserving cases, with adequate justification and with specific approval of the department of personnel, elaborated the order.

In respect of officers of non-transferable services like the ministerial cadres in the secretariat and in the heads of departments/offices, it stated that no person shall be retained in a particular post with the same work allocation for more than three years but may be relaxed, only in special circumstances, up to a maximum of six years, with specific approval of the competent authority.

Districts may be clubbed/organised into zones for recruitment of Group III & IV.

posts, within which they will be transferrable.

Such Group III & IV officials shall normally not be transferred outside their respective zones.

The zones for this purpose may be notified by the department of personnel.

All posts sanctioned for specific purposes should be utilised only at the places for which the posts had been created.

No transfer of post will be permitted under any circumstances.

Only in extreme exigencies of public interest, posts can be transferred with the approval of the state cabinet.

Appointments/postings of officers/officials to a higher post/non-cadre post on in-charge basis shall be strictly as per the guidelines issued by the department of personnel from time to time.

The policy shall be the guiding spirit/principle for all departments while making transfers and postings.

Department-specific policy in respect of a few specific departments that have unique requirements may be separately notified, if necessary, in line with the broad policy outline.

Such notifications will be issued in consultation with department of personnel.

Notwithstanding anything contained in the policy, the state government, with the prior approval of the chief minister, shall be competent to transfer an employee to any place in relaxation of any or all of the above provisions after recording reasons justifying such relaxation.

No transfer & posting which is contrary to this policy shall be made by any department without the approval of the chief minister, it added.

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