Spouse-posting guidelines are directory, not enforceable rights, where an officer remains liable to transfer anywhere in India.

An officer subject to all-India transfer liability cannot claim, as of right, posting near a spouse merely because of husband-and-wife posting guidelines. Regulation 47 of the Bank of India (Officers') Service Regulations, 1979 made transfer to any office, branch or place in India permissible, and the employee had also undertaken willingness to serve anywhere in India. The spouse-posting guideline was treated as a directory administrative policy, not an enforceable personal right, and had to give way to administrative exigencies, feasibility and the claims of other employees. The transfer to a preferred station near the spouse was therefore not legally enforceable.

---

---

Issues: Whether an officer liable to transfer anywhere in India could as of right posting near the spouse on the basis of governmental guidelines for husband and wife postings.

Analysis: Regulation 47 of the Bank of India (Officers') Service Regulations, 1979 made every officer liable to transfer to any office, branch, or place in India. The employee had also voluntarily undertaken willingness to serve anywhere in India and obtained promotion on that basis. The guideline concerning posting of husband and wife at the same station was held to express a desirable administrative policy, but not a mandatory rule conferring an enforceable personal right. Such preference had to yield to administrative needs, feasibility, and the claims of other employees.

Conclusion: The employee had no legal right to demand transfer to Chandigarh or any place near the spouse, and the writ relief granted by the High Court was unsustainable.

Final Conclusion: The transfer order could not be interfered with on the basis of spouse-posting guidelines where the employee was subject to all-India transfer liability and no enforceable right to a preferred posting was shown.

Ratio Decidendi: Guidelines for posting husband and wife together are directory and must be balanced against administrative exigencies; they do not create an enforceable right to a preferred posting where the employee is otherwise liable to transfer anywhere in India.

---