JAMMU: Alleging large scale bunglings and frauds in the recent transfer orders of Masters in Jammu Division, Harsh Dev Singh, Chairman JKNPP and former Education Minister, sought a high level probe into all such transfers in view of complaints of serious nature pouring in from various quarters.
He said that besides media reports of irregularities and violation of stipulated norms, several deputations had called upon him and apprised of the extraneous considerations that had gone into the issuance of the said transfer orders.
He expressed his dismay that the transfer list of Masters revealed that dozens of Masters had been transferred against non-existent posts while several others were transferred against posts which were to become available in Dec. 2016 and January 2017. He further pointed out the large scale ‘zero’ km transfers of Masters in blatant violation of transfer norms which were reported to have been made on monetary considerations which however needed to be investigated.
He said that such zero km transfers besides advance bookings for transfers had fully exposed the hollow claims of the Education Department where transfer mafia still ruled the roost adding the list of transfers of Masters issued last week and available with him indicated that the much trumpeted transfer policy had been blown into smithereens by the reckless officers with no regard whatsoever for the prescribed guidelines.
Making a mention of the high drama created by the Education Department of conducting ‘Transfer Melas’ of teachers and masters requiring the latter to furnish their respective choices for postings, Harsh regretted that the said preferences given by the teachers in said ‘Melas’ were thrown into the dustbin and transfer orders were issued on whims and fancies of helmsmen besides upon other extraneous considerations.
Making a particular mention of District Udhampur, Harsh pointed out that when the Masters approached the CEO Udhampur and expressed their indignation over the non consideration of the proposals of transfers finalised in transfer Melas, they were told by the District Education Offices of Udhampur that transfers were issued by the Directorate of School Education without seeking or considering such proposals. He said that it was highly intriguing that while the District Level Officers and Masters were engaged in transfer Melas by the government for making proposals and recommendations for transfer, the Director School Education Office was busy issuing orders in blatant circumvention of the much proclaimed transfer norms.
Singh said that there were several other instances where pre-mature transfer orders had been issued by Director Education without approval of administrative department which is an essential concomitant of transfer policy thus rendering the whole exercise illegal. He said that transfer policy with regard to single parent and retiring employees was also been blatantly violated. He further pointed out transfer orders having been issued on medical grounds without fulfilling the mandatory requirement of certificate from standing Medical Board. Never before had the Education Department witnessed such mischievous, manipulative and fraudulent transfers, said the former Education Minister.
Urging upon the Chief Minister to take cognisance of the large scale irregularities in such transfers, Singh called for a vigilance or STF probe into the whole gamut of
transfers.