Delhi LG orders interim stay on transfer of 5,000 govt teachers; AAP, BJP trade charges

New Delhi: Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena on Sunday directed Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to keep orders on the transfer of 5,000 teachers, who have been posted in the same school for more than 10 years, in abeyance as an interim measure.

The decision came after a delegation of Delhi BJP leaders and representatives of teachers met Saxena at his office.

The BJP blamed the AAP government for the "arbitrary" decision to transfer the teachers, while AAP leader and Delhi's education minister Atishi welcomed the LG's direction, calling it a victory of Delhiites, and alleged a conspiracy by the BJP behind the mass transfer order.

"The struggle of Delhiites was successful, BJP's conspiracy to destroy Delhi government schools failed," Atishi said in a post on X.

A post from Raj Niwas on X said, "Shri VK Saxena, consistently striving for better service conditions for Govt Employees so that they can perform optimally, has advised the Chief Secretary & Dte of Education to take a sympathetic, holistic & fair view into the recent transfer orders pertaining to teachers (sic)." "He has suggested that in the interim, the orders be kept in abeyance. LG had received several representations from different Govt School Teacher's Associations & today met their delegation at Raj Niwas," it said.

The post also said the teachers were accompanied by MPs Manoj Tiwari, Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Yogender Chandolia, Bansuri Swaraj and former Delhi education minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, all from the BJP.

A circular titled ''Online requests for transfer of teaching staff of the Directorate of Education'' directed all teachers who have served for more than 10 years in one school to compulsorily apply for a transfer.

Failing which they will be transferred to any school by the DoE, according to the circular issued by the DoE on June 11.

A few days back, Atishi had instructed the chief secretary to immediately stop the mandatory transfer of 5,000 teachers who have been teaching in the same school for more than 10 years, following allegations of corruption in the transfer process.

Reacting to the directions of LG, Atishi in the same post on X said on Sunday, "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.

"Today the people of Delhi have won, LG Saheb has had to withdraw his order. This is also a message for the BJP to stop conspiring against Delhi government schools," she said in the same post in Hindi.

The minister had ordered on July 1 that no teacher should be transferred solely because they have spent more than 10 years in a particular school.

Asked about Atishi's claims, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva retorted, "The Delhi government gave the transfer order without giving much thought and started making excuses after opposition from teachers".

"Delhi government issued transfer orders for 5000 teachers. Transfers in such a big number were a point of concern regarding which teachers went to their respective MPs. We discussed this with L-G and he has assured us that a policy in this regard will be formed," says BJP MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat.

Ajay Veer Yadav, general secretary of the Government Schools Teachers Association of India, said the LG's decision has brought great relief to the thousands teachers who would have been relieved from their current posting on Monday "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 said after meeting the LG.

Lovely said they sought the LG's intervention as 5,000 teachers were transferred without any comprehensive transfer policy.