Baramulla, July 8: The government teachers in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district have raised serious allegations of favouritism and nepotism in the recently-declared Annual Transfer List 2023 and appealed to the LG administration to look into the matter.
Several teachers from different education zones on Saturday visited the Chief Education Office Baramulla and voiced their concerns against the Annual Transfer Drive 2023. They claimed that these transfers have been carried out in clear violation of the prescribed transfer policy.
Earlier this year, the government introduced an online transfer policy (Annual Transfer Drive-2023) for teachers and officials from the education department, which was widely applauded for its potential to bring transparency to the process. However, a section of teachers in Baramulla alleges that certain individuals have been favoured with desired transfers while others have been relegated to far-flung areas.
Expressing their concerns, a female teacher said the transfer decisions “seemingly neglected” important considerations such as medical issues. She pointed out that a few teachers were transferred to schools just a few kilometers away from their previous posting, while others with health issues, particularly female teachers, were sent to remote areas with challenging terrains.
“I have two years left for retirement and have been posted to a place where I have to walk around 4 kilometers on foot. Is it justified?” she asked.
Another female teacher said her new posting requires her to change three different vehicles to reach the school, highlighting the inconvenience caused by such transfers. “Fellow colleagues who had previously served in Zone 1 were reportedly transferred within the same zone, contradicting the department’s claim that no such transfers were made,” she added.
The teachers questioned the “apparent discrepancy” between official statements and the reality on the ground, citing numerous cases as evidence.
A male teacher present at the demonstration clarified that the teacher community does not oppose the idea of transfers and agrees that they should occur on an annual basis. He, however, highlighted that the transfers must adhere to the criteria outlined in the transfer policy.
Balbir Singh, the Chief Education Officer (CEO) of Baramulla, refuted the allegations of favouritism and appealed to the teachers to comply with their new postings. A total of 725 teachers were transferred through the ATD mode and the department executed these transfers appropriately, he said.
Singh explained that it is not feasible to transfer a teacher within the same zone and defended the department’s actions by pointing out that this was the first time online applications were used, receiving 2,100 applications out of which 725 suitable transfers were carried out.
However, the CEO assured that any genuine issues brought forward would be duly addressed.
Meanwhile, the government teachers of Baramulla have appealed to the LG administration, DC Baramulla and School Education Department to look into the matter “for the betterment of the teacher community”.
