Odisha allows MLAs, MPs to recommend transfer of up to 15 teachers

Bhubaneswar: In a move to enhance the discretionary powers of elected representatives, the Odisha Government has allowed each Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and Member of Parliament (MP) from the State to recommend the transfer of up to 15 teachers within their respective constituencies.

Per a letter issued to the Director of Elementary and Director of Secondary Education, MLAs and MPs can recommend the transfer of a maximum of 15 teachers—covering both elementary and secondary levels—within their constituency. These recommendations are to be submitted to the respective District Collector, who will forward the proposals to the District Level Transfer Committee (DLTC) for consideration during the official transfer session.

The Government has clarified this provision is a one-time measure, applicable only for the current academic year, and all proposals must be submitted and resolved between May 15 and June 15.

The letter outlines the following conditions for eligible transfer recommendations:

• Transfers must not violate the principle of rationalisation.
• Priority should be given to teachers with urgent needs.
• No teacher should be transferred from a rural area to an urban area.
• This discretion is limited to intra-district transfers only.

In cases where a Parliamentary Constituency spans multiple districts, the proposals must be submitted to the Nodal Collector, who also serves as the Returning Officer for that constituency. The Nodal Collector will then coordinate with the other Collectors within the constituency for disposal by their respective DLTCs.

For Rajya Sabha MPs, recommendations should be submitted to the Director of Secondary Education, who will inform the Director of Elementary Education. The list will then be forwarded to the concerned Collectors with intimation to the DEE for action by the respective DLTCs.

A similar notification was issued by the previous BJD-led government in 2021, allowing the elected representatives to recommend the transfer of up to 10 primary and secondary school teachers within their respective constituencies during the 2021-2022 academic session.