No. 4-9/2011 – SPG
Government of India
Ministry of Communications & IT
Department of Posts
Personnel Division
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
The issue of a separate transfer/posting/deputation policy for Indian Postal Service Officers (IPoS), Group A from Junior Time Scale (JTS) to Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) has been considered by the competent authority.
2. The current general guidelines are available in Memo Nos. 141-4/98-SPB-II dated 23rd February, 1998, 141-1/99-SPB-II dated 23rd March 1999, 141-6/2000-SPB-II dated 24.04.2000 and 141-35/2001-SPB-II dated 11.04.2001 with reference to Rotational transfers in the Department. The guidelines issued vide the aforementioned memos will henceforth be applicable to all cadres working in the Department of Posts other than officers from Junior Time Scale (JTS) to Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) of the Indian Postal Services, Group ‘A’
3. Given the changing needs of the Group A cadre, consequent upon the V Cadre Review, the change in the nature of services provided by the Department and the forays made into new areas of activities, it is imperative to have a separate transfer policy guidelines for Group ‘A’ officers. The policy will be applicable to all direct recruits of the Indian Postal Service and promoted officers/officers qualifying the Group B examination and having a minimum of 2 years of residual service.
4. The new policy guidelines rest on the principles of tenure, performance, service history and records and suitability of officers for a post, sensitive and non sensitive postings, interest of service/administrative interest, request and interest of officer, e.g working couple, education of children, medical exigencies, etc. and above all to ensure that an officer gains wide experience of working both in the field in various capacities in different circles and the Directorate and by exposure to placements under the Central staffing scheme.
5. The following revised guidelines are laid down for transfer/posting/deputation of Indian Postal Service Officers (IPoS), Group A from Junior Time Scale (JTS) to Senior Administrative Grade (SAG):
(i) All annual transfer orders shall be normally issued by 30th April and in any case, not later than 31st May of the year. Transfers may not be effected save in exceptional circumstances (which will include administrative exigency) in the middle of the academic session.
(ii) The station tenure will be four years which may be extended up to six years in individual cases in public interest, on self/family medical grounds or on educational grounds of the wards.
(iii) The powers for extending the station tenure beyond 4 years can be exercised only by the competent authority.
(iv) The station in which the officer is actually working will be taken as the Station for purposes of tenure and transfer.
(v) The crucial date for computing the completion or otherwise of the tenure will be 1st of September. The tenure of an officer who joins on 1st September or before will be considered in April of the year in which he completes the tenure. Officers joining after the 1st of September will be considered in the next annual transfer.
(vi) While ordering transfers, administrative and functional needs of a particular post shall be kept in view. Furthermore, the service records, past performance, character and antecedents of the officer should be considered to assess his/her suitability for a post.
(vii) As regards posting of working couples at the same station, the same should be allowed if it is administratively feasible. Keeping in view the importance of high school/intermediate education of children, the Department will consider requests for posting of officers whose children are studying in the 9th to 12th standards subject to administrative requirements of the organization.
(viii) A promoted officer with residual service of two years will normally be retained in the parent circle subject to availability of vacancies. For Direct Recruit officers, the residual service before superannuation for retention in the same station would be one year.
(ix) Deputation:
a. First deputation: During the first six years of an officer’s career, he/she shall not be given a posting outside the department or sent on deputation.
b. Period of deputation: An officer shall be allowed to go on deputation outside the Department for not more than three times in his/her entire career. However, the period of one deputation each shall not exceed seven years and the total period of all deputation shall not exceed twelve years. APS deputation will be separate.
c. Second deputation: Two deputations shall not be considered in continuity. A mandatory cooling off period of two years will be followed. Ordinarily an officer shall not be posted at the same station after return from deputation for a minimum period of two years. However, relaxation of the same could be considered by the competent authority keeping in view administrative exigencies and the suitability of an officer for a particular post keeping in view the special skills and competences acquired by him during deputation.
X. All directly recruited Group ‘A’ officers should preferably work for one tenure at the policy making level i.e. in the Directorate/Deputation under Central Staffing Scheme and State Government deputation either in JTS/STS, JAG or in SAG, Due weightage shall be given for such experience in planning the career progression of an officer such as further deputation under Central Staffing Scheme, secondment to multilateral agencies/UN/UPU and foreing and long term training courses.
Xi. For postings to Directorate, a panel shall be drawn up annually at the beginning of each year by calling for requests from all officers. The panel shall be drawn up after assessing the suitability of the officer and empanelled officers will be posted to STS/JAG/SAG assignments in the Directorate, Panel of officers will be prepared for each grade separately and finalized with the approval of the Competent Authority.
Xii. To ensure that an officer gains wide experience of working both in the field and the Directorate in various capacities and in different circles, categories of stations have been determined.
a. Stations of posting are divided into 3 categories:
Class A: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad and foreign assignments
Class B: All State Capitals except those in Class A
Class C: All other stations where Group ‘A’ posts are available
b. Officers who complete tenure in any Class of Station indicated above will necessarily be posted to a different class of station (A to B to C to A) in a Circle subject to a maximum of two tenures. After two continuous tenures within a Circle in different class of stations, the officer has to necessarily move for a full tenure to either the Directorate or to a Circle in another Cluster as detailed below. The total tenure in a Circle cannot be in any case more than 12 years up to the level of SAG.
c. Circles are clustered as follows for purposes of transfer:
Cluster 1: Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Delhi (excluding Directorate), Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh
Cluster 2: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh
Cluster 3: Orissa, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar
Cluster 4: Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala
The policy of the Government of India with regard to postings in Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, Andaman & Nicobar and the North Eastern States will be applicable for purposes of transfer to and from these states and hence they have not been included in the clusters.
Ø Tenure of four years will apply to officers posted in the Directorate. On completion of tenure in the Directorate, officers can be posted to any Cluster or Class of Station except Delhi Circle. There will be no bar on deputation.
Ø Any office working on training assignments in Postal Staff College, India (PSCI)/Postal Training Centres (PTCs) will invariably be posted to the field/Directorate. No extension of tenure will be granted. For purposes of transfer the station where PSCI/PTCs is/are located will be reckoned as part of that Circle. For instance, PTC, Mysore will be taken as part of Station and Cluster will apply for transfer.
Ø Total (maximum) tenure in a cluster will be 14 years including deputations.
Xiii. Field attachment during probation and the first posting thereafter in JTS for Direct recruits shall be outside their home circles.
B. P. Pant
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