This article throws light upon the five main reasons that may lead to transfer to public servants. The reasons are: 1. On the Request of the Public Servant 2. Routine Transfers 3. Transfer for Training of the Public Servant 4. Transfer to Avoid Retrenchment 5. Transfer as Punishment.
Reason # 1. On the Request of the Public Servant:
When a public servant makes a request to the head of the organization that he may be transferred to a particular station because of certain conveniences he might enjoy at the proposed station, his request is acceded to provided he can be adjusted arid a vacancy exists at the station of his choice.
Reason # 2. Routine Transfers:
It is generally seen that organizations do not prefer very long stays of officials at a particular station. They believe that transfer provides an employee a change of working environment which refreshes his mind and increases his efficiency.
Reason # 3. Transfer for Training of the Public Servant:
Sometimes, transfers are effected in order to give all-round training to the employee in the different aspects of departmental work. This is a part of in-service training programme of a good organization to rotate its employees in order to equip them with different types of work in the department.
Reason # 4. Transfer to Avoid Retrenchment:
To avoid retrenchment of public servant, the government and large-scale organizations usually effect inter-departmental transfers. This saves the employees from unemployment and the other departments from fresh recruitment.
Reason # 5. Transfer as Punishment:
This is, strictly speaking, a first step towards demotion. When a public servant is ill-suited for the job or when he becomes a headache to his immediate superiors, he may be transferred from ‘A’ grade station to a ‘B’ or ‘C grade station without actually demoting him.
Similarly, a good employee may be transferred from ‘B’ or ‘C grade station to ‘A’ grade station as a reward of his efficient work. From the above it is clear that transfer is a matter of individual or departmental adjustments. Of course, an employee may be transferred when he is promoted, but it would be rightly called as ‘transfer-on-promotion or ‘promotion, and not ‘transfer’.