Punjab govt ends service extension for staff

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 2

Days after the Congress government announced in the ongoing Budget session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha to scrap eight-year-old service extension scheme that allowed government employees to seek a two-year extension in service beyond the retirement age of 58 years, the Punjab Cabinet today took a policy decision to do away with the policy of optional extension in service period after retirement/ superannuation.

The Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, approved amendment to the Punjab Civil Services Rules making the necessary policy change. Scrapping the service extension scheme was one of the decisions taken in the first Cabinet meeting chaired by Capt Amarinder in March 2017, after the Congress rose to power in the Assembly elections.

With the decision, around 8,000 will retire in two phase — March 31, 2020, and September 30, 2020 — costing the state exchequer around Rs4,000 crore.

The CM also asked his Cabinet colleagues to take steps to identify corrupt employees and deadwood, and weed them out of respective departments to improve efficacy and transparency in functioning.

Employees who are currently on second year of optional extension i.e. who have attained the age of 59 or 61 years, as the case may be, and are availing the second year of optional extension in service, or whose second year optional extension is scheduled to start from April 1, 2020, shall stand retired from service w.e.f. March 31, 2020.

Similarly, employees on first year of optional extension in service i.e. who have attained the age of 58 or 60 years, as the case may be, and are availing the first year of optional extension in service, or whose first year optional extension is scheduled to start in the inter-regnum period, shall stand retired from service w.e.f. September 30, 2020.

The service extension scheme was started during the SAD-BJP government in 2012. Employees were initially offered only one-year extension, which was later increased to two.

This had enabled the government to fill large number of vacancies in government posts and tackle the shortage of staff in various departments.

However, with the staff shortage now effectively managed, this ground for optional extension can no longer be justified, the Cabinet felt. The extension in service had also led to the promotion chances of the feeder categories of employees being adversely impacted, triggering resentment among employees.

Move to hit 8,000

• Around 8,000 employees will retire in two phases — March 31, 2020, and September 30, 2020 — costing state Rs4,000 crore
• Staff on second year of optional extension i.e. having attained the age of 59 or 61 years, shall retire from service w.e.f. March 31
• Those on first year of optional extension i.e. having attained age of 58 or 60 years, shall retire from service w.e.f. September 30