No Head of Department in Haryana will now have a tenure of more than three years and officials in some key departments will be given extension beyond the retirement age of 58 years, subject to certain conditions.

This was decided during the Cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar lal on Wednesday.

The State Government has approved the recommendations made by the Cabinet sub-committee constituted to examine the issue of retirement age of officials and fixed tenure of heads of department, said Krishan Kumar Bedi, Haryana Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment while talking to the mediapersons after the cabinet meeting.

According to the recommendation of the sub-committee, re-employment beyond the retirement age will be applicable only to departments involved in maintaining law and order, regulatory work, work of administrative importance, infrastructure development and basic public service.

The Administrative Department will assess the level and class of officials whose services need to be retained beyond the regular retirement age of 58 years. Such proposal will be approved by a committee chaired by the Chief Secretary, Haryana, said the Minster.

Also, extension will be proposed only if eligible candidate is not available for promotion post from feeder for at least two years. Good service record will be non-negotiable and majority of ACRs should be good or plus and there should be no pending disciplinary action, said he.

The sub-committee has also recommended that the tenure of head of department should not exceed three years.

Notably, the previous Congress led Haryana Government had raised the retirement age to 60, prior to the 2014 assembly polls. However, when the BJP Government led by Manohar lal Khattar, came to power, it had reversed the Congress Government’s decision.

Taking a U-turn on the decision later, the BJP led State Government had constituted a sub-committee to study the retirement issue.

The State Government had already decided to increase the retirement age of doctors’ upto 65 years. The retirement age of group D employees, blind, physically challenged and Judicial Officers is 60 years. In addition, State Awardees in Education Department were also being allowed to continue till the age of 60 years in Haryana.

SC Commission to be formed

The Cabinet approved a proposal to enact the Haryana State Commission for Scheduled Castes Act, 2018.

Haryana State Commission for Scheduled Castes to be constituted would investigate and examine the working of various safeguards provided in the Constitution of India or under any other law for the time being in force or under any order of the Government for the welfare and protection of the Scheduled Castes.