Transfer proceedings of HSE teachers stayed

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major relief to the Higher Secondary School teachers, the Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT) has stayed their transfer proceedings till August 31 based on a mass petition filed by a section of teachers.

The KAT has stayed the proceedings citing that the provisional transfer list published by Department of Higher Secondary Education violated government orders came in 2015 and 2016.

Earlier, there were allegations that the transfer was not based on seniority but on priority grounds such as compassionate posting, physically handicapped, widows of armed forces’ personnel, spouse postings and even NRI postings. Interestingly, many ‘ineligible’ teachers allegedly found a place in the list and have managed to reap the benefits of priority and compassionate posting for getting posted in their home or nearby districts.

The KAT order said that the HSE department should stick to the limit of reservation in compassionate and priority posting at 30 per cent. As per GO, the government has fixed a limit of 10 per cent reservation for compassionate posting and 20 per cent reservation for priority posting. However, when the transfer list was published, these norms were allegedly violated. Also, more than the prescribed number of teachers were named in the list.

Applicants who filed the case should submit a detailed representation to the government within two weeks, the order said. The KAT has also directed the HSE to prepare a draft list of the transfer as early as possible and should give time for every teacher to lodge his/her complaint. The transfer proceedings should be finished by August 31, 2018.

According to a GO, transfers should be based on the Kerala Administrative Tribunal order issued in December. The GO also issued a list containing 20 categories to opt for priority grounds, compassionate posting, physically handicapped, widows of armed forces’ personnel and NRI postings.

Meanwhile, the HSS teachers, who did not get a transfer for a long time due to the priority and compassionate postings, alleged that they would organise huge protests including hunger strike against the vested interests shown by a section of teachers in sabotaging the transfer proceedings.

“Again, the transfer proceedings have been sabotaged. This is a clear ploy by a section of teachers to scuttle the transfer process as they want to be in their home town. Now, the stay order has again created delay of two more months. So we will stage huge protests,” said Ajith Chandran (name changed), an HSS teacher.