33,000 teachers request transfer in Bihar: Edu dept

Over 33,000 transfer applications from Bihar teachers have been received in just eight days, as the government reopens the application window.

Within eight days after the Bihar government opened a fresh window for teachers needing transfer due to some pressing issues, over 33,000 applications have so far been received by the education department and the number could rise further.

33,000 teachers request transfer in Bihar: Edu dept

The number had crossed 2.6-lakh a couple of months ago before the policy was scrapped and now with just six days left for filing applications, the lesser number of claimants has made things easy for the department.

The department had asked teachers to apply afresh during December 1-15 in view of growing demand from certain sections of teachers, who were not happy with the embargo on all transfers and had their own reasons for this.

The department’s fresh notification for transfer due to pressing issues came after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on November 20 announced that lakhs of school teachers appointed since 2006 through Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs) and urban local bodies (ULBs) would remain at their present places of posting even after getting the status of government employees upon successfully clearing the competency tests.

Additional Chief Secretary S Siddharth said that out of a total of 545,182 teachers, the number of applications for transfer due to various reasons received was 33,227 till December 8, while it has crossed 2.6-lakh within a few days the last time applications had been sought.

“In the order of preference in transfer, the first priority is for those suffering from incurable diseases (like cancers), and that number is 163, followed by 456 suffering from critical illness, 1,522 specially abled and 290 suffering from autism/or specially mentally abled. Besides, there are 216 applications from widow or divorced teachers, 2919 seeking transfer on the basis of posting of spouse at some other place.

“However, the maximum 27,661 teachers have sought transfer due to the distance of present place of posting from the desired place. We will look into all the requests in order of preference,” he added.

Siddharth said that the process would begin soon after the last date for receiving applications needs to give new posting to these teachers in the order of preference, with the most needy getting the first priority.

“Now we know how many teachers really need transfer and we will do it accordingly. We don’t expect any big change in the number in the coming 4-5 days. The numbers are manageable and it can be practically done with the help of software,” he added.

The education department had finally come out with its transfer and posting policy in October for the school teachers, a demand that had remained on the back burner for over a decade and the process was to begin in December, but it was later put on hold and the policy was scrapped.