Facts
The applicant, a Senior Assistant Loco Pilot (Level-6) at Izzat Nagar Division, North Eastern Railway, submitted an application for an inter-divisional on-request transfer to Varanasi Division on February 19, 2019.
Source reference: p. 2-3, para. 3-4Although the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Izzat Nagar approved and forwarded the request to Varanasi Division on February 27, 2020, for the issuance of a No Objection Certificate (NOC), no action was taken for several years.
Source reference: p. 2-3, para. 3RTI inquiries revealed that the transfer could not be processed because the applicant's data had not been updated on the Human Resource Management System (HRMS) Portal.
Source reference: p. 3, para. 3The applicant filed multiple representations in 2025 citing Railway Board Circulars regarding the processing of legacy transfer applications, but received no redress.
Source reference: p. 3, para. 4Issues
1. Whether the respondents are legally obligated to update "legacy" transfer applications on the HRMS Portal to facilitate inter-divisional transfers.
Source reference: p. 4, para. 62. Whether administrative delays in data updation on the HRMS Portal can validly obstruct the consideration of a pre-approved transfer request.
Source reference: p. 3, para. 4Law Applied
Railway Board Circulars dated 14.10.2024 and 03.10.2025 established the legal framework for the upgraded Transfer Module of HRMS, mandating the updation of pending legacy transfer applications on the portal within specific timelines.
Source reference: p. 3, para. 3-4Principle of administrative accountability, implying that employees should not suffer for administrative lapses in digital record management.
Source reference: p. 3, para. 4Reasoning
The Tribunal observed that the applicant’s transfer request had been stagnating since 2019 despite receiving initial approval from the forwarding division.
Source reference: p. 3, para. 3The court highlighted that the Railway Board had already recognized the issue of "legacy applications" by issuing specific circulars in 2024 and 2025 to streamline the transition to the HRMS digital platform.
Source reference: p. 4, para. 6Since the applicant had continuously pursued his grievance through representations and the respondents did not dispute the applicability of the circulars, the court reasoned that the delay was purely a result of administrative non-compliance regarding portal updation.
Source reference: p. 3-4, para. 4-5The court found it unnecessary to keep the application pending, as a directed mandate for data updation and subsequent review under the existing circulars would resolve the grievance.
Source reference: p. 4, para. 6-7Holding
The Tribunal disposed of the Original Application at the admission stage and directed Respondent Nos. 2 (DRM Izzat Nagar) and 3 (DRM Varanasi) to ensure the updation of the applicant’s transfer application on the HRMS Portal.
The respondents are ordered to consider the issuance of the NOC and the inter-divisional transfer in accordance with existing rules, vacancy availability, and the Railway Board Circulars within four months; no costs were awarded.
Source reference: p. 4-5, para. 7, 9Original Court PDF
Sandeep Kumar singhvsNORTH EASTERN RAILWAY
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