State extends suspension of Utsashree transfers till June 30

Kolkata: The state School Education department has announced the reopening of the mutual transfer process for teachers in government-aided and sponsored schools. However, operation of online processing of applications for other transfers through the Utsashree Portal has been extended until June 30, 2025.

Launched in August, 2021, the Utsashree portal was designed to facilitate teacher transfers closer to their homes but has been suspended since September, 2022. Initially, the suspension was extended in six-month intervals, with the most recent extension, announced on June 28, 2024, halting all transfers until December 31, 2024.

In a fresh notification, the department confirmed that the suspension would continue until June 30, citing the need to smoothly complete the ongoing recruitment of upper primary teachers.

While the general transfer process remains suspended, the mutual transfer process for teachers at the primary, upper primary, and secondary levels has been exempted from this suspension. “Some technical work is ongoing in the portal, which is why it is not fully functional at the moment. Once the portal is fully operational, we will resume the mutual transfer process,” said Siddhartha Majumder, chairman of the West Bengal School Service Commission.

This decision has been welcomed by the teaching community, though many continue to hope for the swift resumption of the general transfer process.

“We are pleased with the reopening of the mutual transfer process. However, clarity is needed on whether the process will be conducted offline or through the Utsashree portal. Additionally, issues like section problems and locked profiles need to be resolved,” said Chandan Garai, secretary of the All Bengal Post Graduate Teachers’ Welfare Association.

Meanwhile, Kinkar Adhikari, General Secretary of Shikshanuragi Aikya Mancha, has called for the removal of the five-year lock-in period for mutual transfers.