SRI K. RAMACHANDRA Vs. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA REP BY ITS SECRETARY REVENUE DEPARTMENT, THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF REGISTRATION & COMMISSIONER OF STAMPS AND SRI G.V. YASHODARA, DISTRICT REGISTRAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) LEARNED Government Advocate takes notice for respondents 1 and 2. The order of the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal passed in O.A. No. 7215/2013, dated 19.11.2013, is called in question in this writ petition. By the said order, the petitioner's transfer to Chikkaballapur is not interfered with.

(2.) THE records reveal that the petitioner herein working as District Registrar in the office at Basavanagudi, Bangalore, is transferred to office of the District Registrar, Shivajinagar, Bangalore, by the order dated 30.4.2012. Within 1 1/2 years, the petitioner is again transferred from the office of District Registrar at Shivajinagar to office of the District Registrar at Chikkaballapur by the order dated 31.10.2013. To the place of the petitioner, respondent No. 3 is transferred from office of the District Registrar, Chikkaballapur. Thus, it is clear that by the order dated 31.10.2013, the petitioner is transferred to the place of respondent No. 3 and respondent No. 3 is transferred to the place of the petitioner for administrative reasons. Sri Jayakumar S. Patil, learned senior counsel appearing for the petitioner assails the correctness of the order dated 31.10.2013 by contending that transfer of the petitioner from the office at Shivajinagar to the office at Chikkaballapur is premature, inasmuch as there cannot be transfer within three years from his posting at Shivajinagar Office. He relies upon the Government Order dated 7.6.2013 to contend that the transfer includes the posting of a Government servant from one office to another office within the same head quarters. Thus, according to him, the order dated 30.4.2012 transferring him from office of the District Registrar at Basavanagudi, Bangalore to the District Registrar's office at Shivajinagar is practically an order of transfer, inasmuch as it is a transfer from one office to another office in the same head quarters. He further submits that as per the Government Order dated 7.7.2007, Bangalore District Registrar's office is divided into five Registration Districts. Registrar's office situated at Basavanagudi comes within the Registration District of Basavanagudi, whereas Registrar's office at Shivajinagar falls within the Registration District of Shivajinagar. Thus, according to him, the Registration District of Shivajinagar is a different head quarters altogether and therefore petitioner's earlier transfer from Basavanagudi to Shivajinagar is a transfer from one head quarters to another head quarters.

(3.) The writ petition is opposed by Sri M.S. Bhagwat, learned counsel appearing for respondent No. 3 by contending that Bangalore City shall be treated as one head quarters and there cannot be any bifurcation of headquarters in the guise of creation of five Registration Districts. According to him, the bifurcation of work of registration into five Districts is only for registration purposes and not for any other administrative reasons. He draws the attention of the Court to Rule 8(49) of the Karnataka Civil Services Rules, to contend that transfer means the movement of Government Servant from one head quarters station to another head quarters station.