The plans of Punjab Government employees, who are planning to seek two-year extension in their service after their retirement at the age of 58 years, may meet a dead-end on Thursday. For, the Punjab Cabinet, in its scheduled meeting on Thursday, may do away with its policy of giving two-year extension in service to employees after the age of superannuation.
The council of Ministers would also decide on the dates for holding the Monsoon Session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha. Besides, the Cabinet would also decide on several other key issues including exempting registration charges for sale or transfer of immoveable property to blood relatives or spouse, utilising one-third tax on cigarettes as aid for cancer patients, etc.
Sources informed that the Cabinet, keeping in mind the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission, has decided to discontinue its policy of two-year extension to Government employees after their retirement.
“The Government is expected to keep the retirement age at 58 years, with no further extension,” a senior Government official told The Pioneer.
The policy of granting extension to employees was started in 2012 when the age of retirement was raised from 58 to 59 years. The State Government, next year, allowed another year's extension to the employees, raising the retirement age to 60 years.
Only recently, the State Government had issued a fresh set of guidelines, according to which the extension in the service would be denied to those employees who have either been chargesheeted or a decision has been taken to chargesheet them under rule 8 of Punjab Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Act, 1970.
Employees, who may have been awarded major penalty that still hold impact on the day of their retirement or awarded major penalty three years before their retirement or against whom competent authority has given permission to prosecute them in criminal case, would also be denied extension.
It has also been learnt that the State Government was of the view that the move would help in checking unemployment, at least to some extent. “The discontinuation of this policy would lead to lot of vacancies, and new vacancies would also be generated after employees’ retirement,” the official said.
The issue was also taken up in the Punjab and Haryana High Court at different levels.
Other than this, the Cabinet will also decided on the dates for the assembly session. Available information suggests that the government has proposed to call a five-day session starting from September 18, that is Friday.
Cabinet would also take up bills, reports and other business to be tabled in the Vidhan Sabha, for discussion.
Besides, the Cabinet may also take a final call on exempting registration charges for the sale or transfer of immoveable property to blood relatives or spouse.