LAHORE, March 1: The Punjab school education department has notified a merit-based system of posting of officers after their initial recruitment in BS-17 and 18 and of officers of BS-17, 18, 19 and 20 after their in-service promotion. With the approval of the chief minister, the department has also arrayed vacant posts of officers from BS-17 to BS-20 in the entire province.

The new policy envisages rooting out erratic postings and prescribes that such posts will be considered vacant for the purpose of adjusting duly selected or promoted officers of relevant grades.

Once the posting orders of an officer of proper grade or subject are issued, the erratically placed incumbent shall stand relieved of his/her duties/charge. The newly-placed officer shall assume the charge of his posting without formal relinquishment of the charge by the incumbent placed erratically.

The officers selected by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) as head teacher or those who are promoted as head teachers will not be adjusted as subject specialists or senior subject specialists.

The notification says that the over-riding principle of placement is that the officers of provincial cadre can be posted anywhere in the province. No official can claim as a matter of right any particular post in BS-17, 18, 19 and 20 whether filled by initial recruitment or in-service promotion.

On initial recruitment through the PPSC, the selected officers will be posted according to the inter-se merit of each selected candidate. The officers promoted against in-service promotion quota will be posted according to their inter-se seniority.

As far as possible, the posting policy says, the officers will be adjusted in the district of their domicile subject to inter-se merit and seniority within that district and availability of vacancies. The female officers may exercise their option, according to their husband's district of domicile/place of residence.

The competent authority may place or refuse to place any teacher or official against any vacancy on the basis of student-teacher ratio, opening of new school, bigger enrolment or any other administrative ground.

In case, any dispute arises between two or more persons for a seat, the senior in merit or inter-se seniority within the district will take precedence.

The policy, however, will not be applicable to administrative posts of EDOs, DEOs, and deputy DEOs and suitable officials will be selected by Search Committees on seniority-cum-fitness basis under separate criteria.

The school education department has also set up a cell to redress complaints regarding violation of this policy. The additional secretary (schools) and director public instruction (secondary education) will run the cell.