Comrades,
There are lot of
discussions in whatsApp groups about the premature retirement of Central
Government Employees the idea is to retire employees who have completed 33 years of
service or on reaching 60 years of age, whichever is earlier. At
present, the retirement age in most of the services is 60 years,
though it is 65 for professors in all Central universities as also for Central
government doctors. ,
such messages are spread as suggested by the
Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the proposal is currently with the
Department of Expenditure. Meanwhile, in order to
streamline manpower planning and policies, the government has asked all the
ministries to furnish a complete list of cadre-wise and grade-wise posts, total
strength and vacancies in various departments by September 30. The messages state that the new rules of retirement age will be implemented from the next
financial year after the approval of the Finance Ministry.
The following are the facts about this case.
1) Economic
Survey for 2018-19 tabled in Parliament by Hon'ble
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamanji on 5th July 2019 which
says The survey pointed out that this will also help plan in advance
for pensions and other retirement provisions. Given that life expectancy
for both males and females in India is likely to continue rising, increasing
the retirement age for both men and women going forward could be considered in
line with the experience of other countries, it added. Due to ageing
population and increasing pressure on pension funding, many countries have
begun raising the pensionable retirement age. Curiously, Economic
Survey 2018-19 had made a strong case for increasing the retirement age in the
wake of the rising life expectancy rate in India.
2) The Economic Survey has suggested that a higher
retirement a would be crucial for the viability of the pension system. The
present economic condition of the Government is not that good to observe higher
pension liability .
3) Whenever the Center constitutes a Pay
Commission, there is heightened anticipation that the retirement age
will be reviewed. With the next pay revision due in 2026, the
signalling may have begun now .
4)
Economic Survey itself pointing to the need to create 55-60 lakh
jobs annually over the next two decades. The total number of
sanctioned posts among all the grades was over 38 lakh as on March 1, 2018. Of
them, 33.47 lakh posts belong to Grade C. About 31.18 lakh of the total of 38
lakh posts are occupied. At
present about 6 lakhs Central Government jobs are to be filled up, the Central
Government can fill up these jobs on priority basis. If the
retirement age is lowered by any formula then about 6 lakhs people will be
retiring in 2020, then 12 lakhs vacancies will be altogether the
running of the Government machinery will be quite difficult. This
will impact the Government objects and goals .
5) By the 2021 lot
number of the Central Government employees are due for retirement, here also
lot of vacuum is created in Central Government as filling up of the Government
Jobs is at slow pace. The actual work load is more than the employees, the
Government should run its machinery and implement it program and policies for
which adequate manpower is vitally required.
6) The
Government has to pay out huge amount as pension benefits to these 6 lakhs
employees on an average 25 lakhs amount is spent on each employee as pension
benefit , financially which is likely to be about Rs 20,000 crores on the
Government budget.
7) The BSNL management had suggested to Central Government
reducing the retirement age from 60 years to 58 years, so far the Finance
Ministry has not cleared it due to financial constraints.
8) The retirement age
of Central government officials were last increased from 58 years to 60 years
in 1998. Many state governments have raised the retirement age from 60 to 62
years. Once a benefit is given to an
employee, it is very difficult to withdraw it. It is subjected to judicial
intervention. The lowering of retirement age is not easy decision , the
central or the state Government will take so easily. It will think in all
angles before any such decision is taken.
Hence , to conclude it is just a proposals and it is
very difficult to implement it due to various factors such as losing an
experienced employee who can handle the work , lot of Central Government jobs
are vacant which are to be filled up , lot of financial issues are involved
apart from managing its resources.
Comradely
yours
COC
Karnataka
