Port Blair, Aug. 6: The Non-Gazetted Government Officers’ Association, Andaman and Nicobar Islands has lodged its strong protest against the  manner in which the transfer orders of teachers have been issued by the Education Department during the last  few weeks.  In a letter sent to the Chief Secretary, A&N Administration, Shri D. Ayyappan, General Secretary of the Association said that grave injustice has been meted out to several hundreds of teachers working under the Education Department of the Administration, whose names figure in the transfer orders issued by the Education Department during last two-three weeks. 

He told the Chief Secretary that these orders have been issued in gross violation of the existing service rules governing the government employees under the Government of India.  Most of these teachers have got their transfer orders and relieving orders on the same day.  Teachers are stand relieved on a particular date as indicated in the transfer order itself.  Only in some of the cases, two or three days’ time is allowed for the transferred teachers, Ayyappan informed.

Citing specific cases,  the General Secretary brought to the notice of the Chief Secretary that in the latest round of transfers, about 10 transfer orders were issued by the Directorate of Education.   The date of  issue of orders is mentioned as  30^th July, 2012 while the orders were actually released on  2^nd August, 2012,  the day being a holiday for schools and working day for offices, and the teachers were stand relieved on 3^rd August, 2012.  In one School at Port Blair, transfer orders were served to the teachers at 12.40 p.m. and they were relieved at 1.30 p.m. on the same day (3.8.2012).  The Association told the Chief Secretary that in many of the schools at outstations, copies of the orders have not reached till date.

The Association stated that teachers are not being allowed to avail their transfer TA advances as provided under rules.  Such a practice is unheard of even in the Police/ Defence forces where troops are moved on urgent basis, General Secretary said.  In this way, the teachers are made laughing stock before the general public and students.  The Association strongly protested against this callous and insensitive attitude on the part of the authorities concerned.  

The schools have been re-opened in the islands on 4^th June, 2012 i.e. two months back and till date the transfers and postings of teachers have not been completed. Mid-academic session transfers and postings of government employees are discouraged by the Govt. of India in order to avoid hardship to the employees particularly to those employees whose children are studying in the schools, but the Education Department in Andaman and Nicobar Islands does the opposite as in any other matter, Ayyappan said. 

Despite the Association’s repeated requests made to the Education Department, the transfer orders, circulars, etc. issued by the department are not being uploaded on the website, presumably on the reason that the website of the Education Department itself has not been updated during the last ten years, the Association pointed out.   

The Association appealed to the Chief Secretary to direct the authorities in the Education Department not to stand relieve teachers without giving sufficient time to them as is being done in respect of other categories of government employees.  The Association has thus demanded an inquiry into the matter through a higher level officer outside the Education Department.