Telangana Employee Transfers 2026 guidelines (GO Ms No. 38)

The Telangana state government has officially lifted the ban on employee transfers, providing significant relief to state government staff. According to the newly issued Government Order (GO Ms No. 38), the general transfer window will remain open throughout the month of May 2026. After the process concludes, the ban will be strictly reimposed starting June 1, 2026.

Key Eligibility and Transfer Guidelines:

Minimum Tenure: Employees who have completed at least 3 years of service at a particular station as of January 1, 2026, are eligible to apply for a transfer.
Spouse Cases: The 3-year minimum tenure condition is exempted for employees seeking transfers on spouse grounds.
Mandatory Transfers: No employee will be allowed to continue at the same station if they have completed 4 years of service as of December 31, 2025. They will be mandatorily transferred.
Retirement Exemption: Employees who are due to retire before May 31, 2027, are exempted from mandatory transfers unless they voluntarily submit a request to be moved.
Transfer Limit: To ensure that administrative work is not disrupted, transfers are restricted to a maximum of 40% of the total employees in any specific cadre.
Preferred Locations: Employees can opt for up to five preferred locations in their application. Those who have served extended durations in difficult or "hardship" areas will receive additional weightage.

Priority Criteria for Counselling: When multiple employees seek a transfer to the same location, the government has established a clear priority hierarchy:

Spouse cases (couples seeking to work in the same station).
Employees nearing retirement.
Persons with a disability of 70% or more.
Employees with mentally challenged children requiring medical facilities.
Widows.
Severe medical grounds (including cancer, neurosurgery, kidney or liver transplant, open-heart surgery, and bone tuberculosis).

Transfer Schedule: The entire transfer exercise will be conducted transparently through online or web-based counselling platforms, following this timeline:

May 1 to May 7: Administrative groundwork, identification of clear vacancies, and preparation of the mandatory transfer lists.
May 8 to May 15: Submission of applications and option forms by eligible employees.
May 16 to May 24: Verification of applications and conducting of counselling sessions.
May 25 to May 31: Issuance of the final transfer orders. Employees will be officially relieved of their duties within three days of receiving their orders.

(Note: Employees currently engaged in census-related duties are exempted from these transfers, as their work is considered essential.)