Marching orders for rehired staff in Punjab

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 9

The Punjab Government today issued marching orders to employees who had got extension in service beyond the age of superannuation at 58 years.

The orders were issued by the Personnel Department, superseding all previous notifications related to the issue.

With this, re-appointments of doctors made in the Health Department, besides those in the Water Resources, Hospitality and Finance departments stand cancelled. Earlier, the government had allowed extension in service and re-appointments in the rarest of rare cases.

While Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has been vocal against re-appointment of retiring employees, apparently many ministers refused to adhere to his opinion. In the Water Resources Department, for instance, as many as 15 draftsmen, 11 executive engineers, two superintending engineers and a Chief Engineer were re-employed last month.

All departments have been asked to immediately relieve all such appointees, barring the law officers appointed by the government. This order can also be read in consonance with the government decision on regularising services of contract employees and filling vacant posts.