Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Before taking a final decision to grant promotion to nearly four lakh employees, the state government is working to resolve all thorny legal and administrative issues that could create roadblocks.
This comes after a gap of eight years since promotions were last granted.
During this long wait, at least one lakh employees retired without getting a promotion. Whether they will be given any retrospective benefits remains a subject of active discussion among state employees.
So far, the government has maintained a tight lid on its plans, and there is no clarity yet on what formula will be used for implementing long-pending promotions. A senior official from the General Administration Department (GAD) said that the government is in no mood to take any decision in haste that might later have to be reversed due to legal complications.
Therefore, it is meticulously studying every Supreme Court and High Court ruling related to promotions to frame a policy that can stand legal scrutiny, if challenged. The official said that the government aims to provide promotion benefits across all categories—General, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Necessary groundwork is being done to ensure its legal position is watertight before the promotion process begins.
According to GAD sources, the Supreme Court verdict in Jarnail Singh vs Laxman Das Gupta case will form the legal basis for the new promotion policy. Ultimately, it will be Chief Minister Mohan Yadav who will decide which formula to adopt. Employees have been waiting for promotions since 2016, and expectations are high as the government nears a final call.
‘Promotion from date position became vacant’
President of the Mantralaya Employees’ Association, Subash Verma, said that if the government grants promotion from the date the position became vacant, retired employees could also benefit, particularly in terms of their pensions. He mentioned that the law department had approved backdated promotions some time ago. He expressed hope that the government would do justice to employees who have been waiting since 2016.
‘Promote from eligibility date’
Another employee leader, Sudhir Nayak, said that it was the government that withheld the promotions, and employees had to face the consequences through no fault of their own. He demanded that promotions be granted from the date employees became eligible. If this happens, retired employees would also benefit to some extent in their pensions. He added that promotions should be given in a time-bound manner, as is done for State Administrative Officers.
