Extensions for retirees, frustration for juniors

Hyderabad: Some state government officers holding top positions have managed to get an extension after attaining the superannuation age of 58 years, hampering the promotion prospects of junior staff, according to a public interest litigation filed in the High Court. 

Officers holding top posts such as chief engineer, superintendent of irrigation projects and in roads and building department have managed to get two or three year extensions, the PIL says. 

Extension of service is given at the discretion of the government, and the PIL alleges that it is done based on recommendations by the top guns into the political fraternity. 

Most of the reappointments have been made in the engineering services. 

It is usual and acceptable to make use of the service of experienced retired officers by appointing them as advisers, but appointing  to a regular post in the cadre after their retirement is not acceptable, the PIL says.  

The petitioner, Kodati Shyam Sunder, president of the TS Pancha-yat  Raj civil engineers forum, said, “After bifurcation, the TS government made a few reappointments on contract basis/agreement/re-employment basis, and deprived those who are supposed to get a promotion. Officers who retired from service after     attaining the age of superannuation of 58 years have been reappointed through back door method.”

He also said that these officers are “discharging duties and functions attached to the regular post, in other words, the duties they performed prior to their retirement. Employees who expecti promotion as per their seniority and qualifications, are thus deprived of promotional opportunities and retire from service without getting promotion.”

The PIL was up for hearing on October 24 in the High Court, the state government is yet to give its counter. 

The other side of the story, according to a senior officer representing the state government, is that “if there is no competent officer available in the department, it is always open to the state to take the services of any officer, even a retired officer. However, the state government should promote the existing serving staff instead of reappointing officers who have completed their tenure.”