Progression scheme for staff
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 26 — Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Punjab Finance Minister, here today announced the "assured career progression scheme" for government employees. He said that it would become operative with retrospective effect i.e. from January 1, 1996.

This decision would apply to all categories of state government employees except those who had been allowed three or more grade structures of pay scales under Rule, 1998 and those to whom the benefit of career progression was already available under any rule or instructions notified earlier.

The order seems to have been issued keeping in view the ongoing strike by Punjab Ministerial Staff Union, which was asking for time-bound promotional avenues.

The orders issued in this connection said that in case an employee who had opted to get his pay fixed from a date after January, 1996, this decision would be applicable in his or her case from the date opted. Such employees, however, have been given chance to give a fresh option in writing within two months from the issue of the order.

Service, rendered in the same post before January 1, 1996 or the date opted for by an employee shall be counted for the purpose of this decision, but it would be subjected to conditions stated in the order.

On the grant of higher pay scale, the pay of the employee shall be fixed at the next higher stage in the master scale and he shall be allowed next increment from the date he would have earned his next increment had he continued in the lower pay scale. If the minimum of the higher scale is higher than the stage arrived at, his pay shall be fixed at such minimum and next increment shall be allowed after qualifying service of 12 months.

A proficiency step-up shall be granted to such an employee after 16 years of service and a second proficiency step-up shall be granted after 24 years of service if the employee still continues in the same post. Service rendered by an employee in the lower and higher pay scale granted shall be reckoned as service in the same post for this purpose.

In case an employee continues to serve in the same post even after 32-years of service he shall be placed in the next higher pay scale in the hierarchy of pay scales.

The pay of an employee who was in service before January 1996 shall be fixed in the revised pay scale admissible to him under rules, 1998 and then regulated as under.

An employee who has rendered 8 years but less than 16 years service in the same post and has availed benefit of one proficiency step-up under the existing instructions shall be placed in the higher scale benefit of any increment i.e. his pay will be fixed at the same stage in the master scale since he has received one progression and has received accumulated benefit at the time of the pay fixation in the lower revised scale.

An employee who has completed 16 years of service but less than 18 years of service in the same post and has been allowed benefit of one proficiency step-up under the existing instructions shall be placed in the higher scales after giving him benefit of one increment.

An employee who has completed 18 years of service in the same post and had been allowed benefit of two proficiency step(s)-up under the existing instructions shall be placed in the higher scale without benefit of increment by adjusting this proficiency step-up granted after 8 years of service. He shall be notionally treated to have been placed in the higher pay scale after 8 years and granted first proficiency step-up after 16 years. He shall be eligible for second proficiency step-up and placement in higher scale when he completes 24 years and 32 years in the same post.

If an employee is promoted to the next higher promotional post in the regular way at any time before one of the benefits under this scheme becomes due the grant of such benefit shall stand postponed accordingly and shall be granted after completion of service of 8 years in such promotional post. If the promotion of an employee to higher post occurs after having got placement in higher scale of the proficiency step-up/steps-up under this scheme, the benefit of only one increment instead of two increments normally admissible on promotion shall be given in fixing his pay in the scale of pay of the promotional post:

An employee shall be entitled to a maximum of two placements in higher scale and a maximum of two proficiency step-up in his entire service career under this scheme.

Placement in higher scale and proficiency steps-up under this policy shall be granted only to those employees whose overall service record is adjudged as 'good'. If a department test is prescribed or acquisition of higher qualification is a pre-requisite for promotion to the higher level then only those employees who clear such test or acquire such qualifications would be eligible for benefits under this scheme:

On placement to the next higher scale under this scheme an employee would continue to do the same work with the same designation. There will be no need for creation of any separate posts etc. and the employee shall remain on the strength of the same cadre.