Delhi LG Orders Interim Stay on Transfer of 5,000 Govt Teachers Amid AAP-BJP Dispute

Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena has instructed Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to temporarily halt the transfer orders for 5,000 teachers who have been at the same school for over a decade. This decision followed a meeting between Saxena and a delegation of Delhi BJP leaders and teacher representatives.

The BJP accused the AAP government of making arbitrary transfer decisions. In contrast, AAP leader and Delhi's education minister Atishi praised the LG's directive, calling it a victory for Delhiites and alleging a BJP conspiracy behind the mass transfers. "The struggle of Delhiites was successful, BJP's conspiracy to destroy Delhi government schools failed," Atishi posted on X.

Focus on Teacher Transfers

A circular titled "Online requests for transfer of teaching staff of the Directorate of Education" mandated that teachers who have served more than 10 years in one school must apply for a transfer. If they failed to do so, they would be transferred by the Directorate of Education (DoE), according to the circular issued on June 11.

Atishi had previously directed the chief secretary to halt these mandatory transfers following corruption allegations in the process. She reiterated her stance on X, stating, "On July 2, BJP, through LG, got 5000 teachers teaching in Delhi government schools transferred overnight. Then I had promised our teachers, children and their parents that we would not let this conspiracy to hurt the education revolution succeed."

Political Reactions

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva responded to Atishi's claims by saying that the Delhi government issued the transfer order without proper consideration and began making excuses after facing opposition from teachers. He added that they discussed this issue with the LG, who assured them that a policy would be formed regarding these transfers.

BJP MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat highlighted that the large number of transfers raised concerns among teachers, prompting them to approach their MPs. "We discussed this with L-G and he has assured us that a policy in this regard will be formed," Sehrawat said.

Teacher Associations' Relief

Ajay Veer Yadav, general secretary of the Government Schools Teachers Association of India, expressed relief over the LG's decision. "We met the Delhi L-G today who has given us a huge relief by staying this order. The L-G said that a committee will be formed and the transfer policy will be relooked," Yadav stated after meeting Saxena.

The Raj Niwas post on X mentioned that MPs Manoj Tiwari, Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Yogender Chandolia, Bansuri Swaraj, and former Delhi education minister Arvinder Singh Lovely accompanied the teachers during their meeting with Saxena. The post also noted that Saxena is committed to improving service conditions for government employees to enhance their performance.

Lovely added that they sought the LG's intervention because 5,000 teachers were transferred without any comprehensive transfer policy. The LG received numerous representations from various Government School Teachers Associations and met their delegation at Raj Niwas.

The minister had previously ordered on July 1 that no teacher should be transferred solely because they have spent more than 10 years in a particular school. This directive aimed to address concerns about arbitrary transfers affecting long-serving teachers.

The decision to keep the transfer orders in abeyance is seen as a temporary measure while a more holistic and fair view is taken into account regarding these transfers. The move aims to ensure better service conditions for government employees so they can perform optimally.

This development marks an important step towards addressing concerns raised by teachers and ensuring fair treatment in transfer policies within Delhi's education system.