Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government has made it mandatory for all government employees and officers to serve at least once in remote, rural, or tribal areas during their service period. The decision follows strong observations from the Himachal Pradesh High Court regarding alleged arbitrariness and favouritism in employee postings.
Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena has issued strict instructions to all administrative secretaries, departmental heads, and managing directors of boards and corporations to implement the directive without exception. He also warned that failure to comply would invite disciplinary action.
The move comes in compliance with the High Court’s orders in the case Bharti Rathore vs. State of Himachal Pradesh and others, where the court criticised the repeated deployment of certain employees to remote areas while others avoided such postings throughout their careers. The court emphasised that all employees must be treated fairly and posted equitably across the state.
The Chief Secretary made it clear that no individual should be repeatedly posted to remote or tribal regions. Departments have been asked to thoroughly review existing posting patterns and ensure transfer orders reflect the new guidelines.
The government has also reminded departments of the Comprehensive Guidelines for Transfer, 2013 (CGP-2013), particularly paragraphs 12 and 12.1, which already mandate one term of service in difficult areas. The latest instructions aim to enforce these rules more strictly.
To improve transparency, the state is also considering the implementation of a digital tracking system for postings, which will help monitor compliance and address grievances efficiently.
