The State government will amend the Karnataka State Civil Services (Regulation of Transfer of Teachers) Rules 2007 to make it more flexible and humane before the next session of the State legislature.
Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education Kimmane Ratnakar gave this assurance to the Legislative Council in response to a calling-attention motion tabled by Janata Dal (Secular) members Basavaraja Horatti, Puttanna and Maritibbe Gowda on irregularities in the transfer of pre-university college lecturers.
The members alleged that five junior lecturers, who were posted to places in ‘C’ zone during counselling, got their postings changed to the ‘A’ zone through letters of recommendations, right from the Chief Minister to Mr. Ratnakar himself. No Minister has the authority to direct the transfers, overriding the regulations, they said.
Insufficient quota
They also said the ceiling fixed on teacher transfers at 5 per cent, as applicable to other government servants, is too meagre considering their enormous numbers (over 4 lakh). Besides increasing this to at least 15 per cent, the ceiling on transfers on mutual consent and transfer of couples which is now at 1 per cent, should also be increased, they said. The members said the regulation enacted by the legislature in 2007 has come as a boon, preventing large-scale corruption in transfers, though it has certain shortcomings.
Mr. Horatti also referred to a news report in The Hindu which stated that at least Rs. 9 crore changed hands during teachers’ transfers every year.
He said the report forced the government to frame the regulations.Mr. Ratnakar said transfers were made for bona fide reasons. While the regulations had helped the government, they also need fine-tuning, which would be done by him before the next legislature session. M.C. Nanaiah (JD-S) said the government had the authority to effect transfers on bona fide grounds and this cannot be challenged.
Mr. Ratnakar said while five or more transfers were made for bona fide reasons, he would not allow any such transfers till the regulations are amended, however serious the reasons might be.
