ORDER

1. The transfer of petitioner who is a contractual Ayush Medical Officer working under Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram under the aegis of National Health Mission, vide order dated 8.3.2019 vide P/2 from Community Health Centre Lahar, Disrtrict Bhind to Primary Health Centre, Indergadh, District Datia has impelled the petitioner to file this petition u/Art. 226 of the Constitution.

2. Learned counsel for the rival parties are heard on the question of admission.

3. Learned counsel for petitioner, by referring to clause 8 of Samvida Manav Sansadhan Manual, 2018 issued by the National Health Mission, M. P., contends that the said transfer confers upon petitioner right to continue at the present place of posting for at least 3 years before being subjected to transfer. It is submitted that despite petitioner not having completed 3 years tenure at the present place, the impugned order is issued transferring him elsewhere.

3.1 It is further urged that petitioner is a contractual employee and thus cannot be transferred.

3.2 It is also submitted that the impugned order is vitiated by the vice of mala fide as the same is effected to accommodate the respondent No. 5. Reliance is placed by the petitioner on the decision of Full Bench of this court in Ashok Tiwari v. M. P. Text Book Corporation & another 2010 (3) MPJR 97, Single Bench decisions of this court in Rajesh Kumar v. State of M. P. & another 2010 (1) MPLJ 656, Mekhla Narway v. State of M. P. & others 2014 Lab. IC 2123, and the order dated 11.7.2013 in W. P. No. 843/2013(S) (Smt. Vandana Dando-tiya v. State of Madhya Pradesh & others) passed by coordinate Bench of this Court.

4. Bare perusal of the aforesaid clause 8 including sub-clause 8.1 of the aforesaid Manual, 2018 reflects that services of contractual employees including contractual Medical Officer are amenable to transfer. The relevant paras 8.1, 8.2 & 8.3 are reproduced infra:-

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4.1 Learned counsel for the National Health Mission, by referring to various provisions of the Manual, 2018 and highlighting the nature of service of petitioner, contends that the appointment is contractual which is renewed annually based upon an appraisal of the past services rendered. If the services rendered during last one year are found to be satisfactory then fresh appointment is made on contractual basis for another one year and while doing so the place of posting may change since it is a fresh appointment.

4.2 Bare perusal of the impugned order P/2 reveals that though ostensibly the same appears to be an order of transfer but on deeper probe the sentence immediately below the table contained therein reveals that the petitioner has been posted at the new place, i.e., Primary Health Centre Indergadh, District Datia in the capacity as fresh contractual appointee after his past services rendered