Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government has introduced amendments to its policy governing the posting and transfer of employees in remote, tribal, difficult, and extremely difficult areas. Under the revised guidelines, officers and employees above the age of 55 will generally be exempt from routine transfers to such locations. However, this exemption will not apply in cases of promotion, where an employee will be required to take up the posting if the promotional appointment is made in a remote or tribal area.
The changes have been notified through an office memorandum issued by the Department of Personnel, amending Para 16.1 of the Comprehensive Guiding Principles-2013 (CGP-2013).
As per the revised provisions, the standard tenure for employees posted in remote, tribal, difficult, and extremely difficult areas has been fixed at three years, comprising two winter seasons and three summer seasons. The government has clarified that this tenure will be calculated strictly based on the employee’s actual period of service in the concerned area.
The amended policy further states that any period during which an employee remains on extended leave or is absent from duty for any reason will not be counted towards the mandatory tenure. Employees in such cases will have to serve an additional period to complete the prescribed three years of actual posting.
The Department of Personnel has directed all government departments, boards, corporations, universities and district administrations to ensure strict implementation of the revised provisions.
The government has also clarified the rules relating to additional charge assignments. According to the amendment, if an officer is holding only the additional charge of a post in a remote or tribal area without being regularly posted there, that period will neither be treated as service in a remote area nor be counted towards the prescribed tenure.
Such additional-charge assignments will also not qualify the officer for any concessions, preferences, incentives or other benefits available to employees who are regularly posted in remote, tribal, difficult or extremely difficult areas.
The revised policy is aimed at ensuring uniform implementation of transfer norms while clearly defining eligibility for tenure completion and service-related benefits in challenging postings across the state.
