The mutual transfer of employees in the ongoing redeployment of staff on the basis of local district cadre will not guarantee them protection of seniority at least where it involved transfers in seven zones or two multi-zones of the State. There will however be no bar on continuing their seniority within the erstwhile districts which was the basis for introduction of the new zonal system as the question of overlapping of service in district-level posts will not arise.
Since the inter-zonal and multi-zonal transfer of employees necessarily involved overlap of service in posts, the government has rejected protection of seniority at a meeting of employees leaders with Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar a few days ago.
V. Mamatha, president of Telangana Gazetted Officers Association, said the Chief Secretary had agreed to protection of seniority of zonal and multi-zonal posts in cases of mutual transfer within erstwhile districts and zones. Apart from Ms. Mamatha, others who met the Chief Secretary included association secretary A. Satyanarayana and Hyderabad district president M.B. Krishna Yadav.
The government had recently issued an order accepting mutual transfer of employees in district level posts with protection of their seniority from March 1 to 15.
The government had initially announced that employees seeking mutual transfer would have to forego their seniority but this was given a go-by following resentment by the staff. It issued an order protecting seniority for mutual transfers within erstwhile districts. The same was denied for zonal and multi-zonal posts despite a plea by the association.
The association also requested that a number of officers in zonal and multi-zonal posts would come forward for mutual transfers if the concession was extended to them.
The leaders said Mr. Somesh Kumar had also agreed to resuming deputation in all departments, now that the redeployment of staff was completed. The transfer of employees and officers on deputation was suspended in view of the introduction of the new zonal system.
At the same time, the police department on Wednesday issued guidelines for mutual transfer of its personnel belonging to the same rank. Interested persons were asked to apply in the Integrated Financial Management and Information System till March 15. The hard copies of the applications were supposed to be submitted to the respective Superintendents and Commissioners of Police. The guidelines made it clear that the applicants will not carry their seniority. They will be at the bottom of the seniority list in the units where they were transferred.
