Bihar puts on hold contentious transfer/posting policy for lakhs of teachers

Amid growing unease among teachers over the government’s new transfer policy and fears that it could take serious political overtones ahead of the winter session of the Bihar Legislature, the government on Tuesday put the exercise, which was to roll out in December, on hold.
Education minister Sunil Kumar told media persons that the transfer and posting of teachers would now be done together for all the teachers only after the completion of the five competency tests for the old teachers appointed through Panchayati Raj bodies and urban local bodies to prevent any inequality and there could be changes in the policy.
The decision came on a day the Patna High Court also heard the petitions of aggrieved teachers and gave relief to the petitioners, who had challenged the transfer policy as well as the subsequent guidelines issued by the department of education. The next date of hearing is January 21. The government also has to give its reply.
This also comes a day before the government plans to distribute fresh appointment letters to teachers already working since 2006 onwards for the government employee status after having cleared the competency tests. The CM will distribute the appointment letters in Patna.
However, before that they have to give an undertaking that they resigned from their earlier posts. This has also caused huge resentment among teacher bodies, who term it illegal and have decided to protest it.
“Many teachers and teacher bodies had reservations with the government’s transfer policy and after deliberating on them, we consulted Chief Minister and have decided to put it on hold for the time being. Once all the competency tests are completed, it will be done together for all so that nobody could have any grievance,” he added.
He said that the competency tests and counselling for fresh recruitment would also go on. “The old teachers who have cleared the competency tests would give their joining at their present places of posting. As far as the court order is concerned, the relief has been given to petitioners and the transfer and posting policy has not been stayed. We will examine it. At present the policy has been put on hold,” he added.
The education department had finally come out with its transfer and posting policy last month for the school teachers, a demand that had remained on the back burner for years despite protests and uproar in the State legislature. The transfers and postings are scheduled to begin in December, as per the government notification.
As per the policy, all the teachers were required to give their choice in order of preference online through the department’s menu driven e-shikshakosh portal. This was mandatory for all the teachers – those appointed through the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) or those recruited through the panchayat Raj bodies and urban local bodies since 2006 and having cleared the competency test.
However, the teachers’ bodies are not happy with this and voiced their protest. Former MP and general secretary of the Bihar secondary teachers’ association Shatrughan Prasad Sinha said the transfer policy was not in the interest of teachers and education and it was good that it had decided to give it a rethink. BJP and JD-U teacher representatives also came out in support of teachers and said they would discuss it with the CM.
Singh has also termed the distribution of appointment letters to already working teachers as illegal and unwarranted. “We have appealed to all the teachers to not fall in this government trap, which will snatch away their seniority of 14-18 years and the allied benefits. This is akin to committing suicidal and the teachers need to be wary. The government will have to bow again,” he added.