Govt takes steps to raise upper age limit for jobs

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 7

After keeping on hold for over three years, the state BJP government has initiated steps to implement an order issued by the erstwhile Congress government in August, 2014, to raise the upper age limit for government jobs from 40 to 42 years.

Sources said that the government had told all administrative secretaries, heads of the departments, registrar of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Deputy Commissioners and secretaries of the Haryana Public Service Commission and the Haryana Staff Selection Commission to make necessary amendments to the service rules for implementation of the order.

A recent circular by the Chief Secretary, while referring to a letter dated August 26, 2014, issued by the previous Congress government, stated that all concerned were asked to raise the upper age limit for entry to government services from 40 to 42.

The sources said that earlier at a meeting held on November 22, the Council of Ministers had also directed the administrative departments to amend service rules, wherever necessary, in consonance with the instructions of the government issued vide the August 26, 2014, circular.

“Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had immediately after coming to power announced to review 115 decisions taken by the previous government. The BJP government had reversed the Congress government’s decision to raise the retirement age of employees from 58 to 60 years. In the absence of any specific direction on the other decision of raising the upper age limit for jobs from 40 to 42, most of the departments did not make any amendments,” said a senior officer.

Notably, after reversing the Congress government’s decision on retirement age, the present government tried to make amends and even constituted a committee of ministers to suggest whether the retirement age could be raised to 60.

However, the committee recommended re-employment in departments where there was need rather than raising the retirement age across the board.

However, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda alleged that the BJP government had only been busy in managing events.

“It is surprising that the government was sleeping over the issue for the past three years. The government should have also taken a decision to raise the retirement age,” Hooda said.

“It is a government of Gau, Gita and Feeta (cow, Gita and cutting ribbons of events). Cow and Gita are religious issues, but this government believes in using these for politics,” he added.