Punjab Government is all set to do away with its corrupt and “deadwood” employees. Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday asked the Cabinet Ministers to identify and weed the corrupt employees and deadwood out of their departments.
Chief Minister issued the directions while presiding over the State Cabinet meeting, during which the amendments in the Punjab Civil Services Rules was also approved in line with the budget announcement to revert to the earlier retirement age for employees.
With the amendments to make necessary policy change, the Government will end the policy of optional extension in service period after retirement or superannuation to generate employment for the state’s youth.
With this decision, employees who are currently on second year of optional extension, those 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 the service with effect from March 31, 2020.
Similarly, employees on first year of optional extension in service, those 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 the service from September 30, 2020.
Notably, the State Government had earlier allowed extension in service to all categories of employees, up to the age of 60 or 62 years, on submission of option in this regard, as per the (amended) Rule 3.26. This had enabled the Government to make recruitment to fill up the 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.
Further, the extension in service had also led to the promotion chances of the feeder categories of employees being adversely impacted, triggering resentment among the employees.
It was also felt that the existing unemployment scenario demanded increasing employment avenues for the state’s youth, both within and outside the government.
In any case, felt the Cabinet, the policy was only for a temporary phase and was never intended to be a permanent feature. That is why the date of retirement on superannuation has also been retained at 58 or 60 years in the relevant Rule, with the provision for extension in service kept to be used only under exceptional circumstances and in public interest only.