DoP Clarifies Station Tenure Rules for Postal Employees | Directorate OM Explained
The Directorate has issued an important clarification regarding the concept of station tenure for Department of Posts employees. This circular aims to clear doubts on when an official is considered to have completed their tenure at a particular station and what counts as the date of transfer.
This clarification comes in response to representations received from the field units about confusion in interpreting tenure guidelines, especially in relation to employee movements between posts.
What Does “Station Tenure” Mean?
In simple terms, station tenure refers to the duration an employee serves in a specific geographical station, irrespective of the post or office they hold there. The tenure rules are framed to ensure periodic rotation of staff and prevent prolonged posting in the same area.
Clarification Issued by Directorate
According to the Directorate’s order referenced in the scanned circular:
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Station Tenure is Counted from Date of Joining at the Station:
An officer is considered to have completed their tenure in a station from the date they joined any post within that same station—not from the date of their latest intra-station transfer. -
Shifting Posts within the Same Station Does Not Reset Tenure:
If an officer is transferred from one post to another within the same city or location (say, from one Division to another within the same station), this does not restart the tenure count. The station tenure remains uninterrupted. -
Date of Transfer is the Date of Physical Relieving and Joining:
For all official purposes, the effective date of transfer is the actual date on which the official is relieved from one post and joins another—not the date mentioned in the transfer order.
This order is critical because tenure completion plays a major role in transfer policies, promotion eligibility, and rotational postings, especially in sensitive and tenure-based positions. With this clarification, officials will no longer face confusion about when they are eligible for a transfer or if a transfer within the same station affects their overall tenure.
It also ensures uniform implementation of tenure guidelines across Circles and Divisions.
Example Case for Better Understanding
Let’s say an official was posted in Jaipur in 2020 and worked in two different divisions within the city over the next four years. According to this clarification, their tenure in Jaipur as a station would be considered complete in 2024, even if their post changed during this period. The clock does not reset with each intra-station transfer.
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