State employees to work in hills or remote areas for 9 years

Last Updated on February 17, 2023 by SPN Editor

Manipur government has prescribed a new policy for transfer and posting of State employees to be followed while effecting transfer and postings of any Government servant.

According to the policy, normal tenure of posting of an employee in a post will be a minimum of one year and six months and maximum of three years in a place of posting. No transfer may be effected unless the concerned employee has completed one year and six months 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/remote areas during the entire service period. This may be served successively or after breaks, as preferred by the officer/official, subject to each stint being not less than one year and six months.

Each such posting in hill areas/remote areas shall not be less than one year and six months. However, officers/officials who are performing well and willing to serve longer in hill areas/ remote areas may be allowed to serve for a period longer than three years as may be decided.

The policy has been formulated to ensure an effective, efficient and responsive across the State, while taking care to minimize hardship to all due to frequent transfer and postings and to ensure equitable distribution of Government employees at different locations in fair and transparent manner and to maximize job satisfaction, according to a notification issued by Chief Secretary (DP) Manipur Dr Rajeshkumar.

The policy shall be applicable to all employees under the Government and all its agencies, including PSUs, Corporations, Societies, Agencies, Commissions, etc.

The notification conveyed that categorization 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 at 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 he 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 the Election Department, it informed.

Transfer of Teachers/Lecturers of Schools/Higher Secondary Schools /Colleges and other academic institutions shall normally be affected between the academic sessions i.e. just after the closing sessions so that disruption of teaching/learning activities is avoided. All transfer orders will indicate the first-mover and charge shall be handed over by the relieved officer to the relieving officer after briefing him/her of the priority/sensitive issues connected with the post. Whenever cadre posts are to be utilised by non-cadre officers/officials, the transfer & 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, it elaborated.

Physically challenged persons may be given convenient posting at their local stations, subject to availability of post. Officers/officials suffering from an 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, it maintained.

The policy also envisages that the State Government shall provide for payment of incentive to the employees for serving at difficult postings, provided it is not the home district of the employee.

In respect of officers of non-transferable services like the Ministerial cadres in the Secretariat and in the Heads of Departments/Offices, no person shall be retained in a particular post with the same work allocation for more than three years. This may be relaxed, only in special circumstances, up to a maximum of six years, with specific approval of the competent authority in this regard.

Districts may be clubbed/organised into Zones for recruitment of Group Ill & IV posts, within which they will be transferable. Such Group Ill & IV officials shall normally not be transferred outside their respective zones. The Zones for this purpose may be notified by the 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 the policy shall be made by any Department without the approval of the Chief Minister, it added.