The retirement age of State Government employees in Haryana now stands reduced to 58 years from 60 years as the Punjab and Haryana High Court has upheld the decision of the Manohar Lal Khattar Government to this effect.
The decision is likely to impact nearly 5,000 of the 3 lakh employees of Haryana Government on an immediate basis. Government sources had earlier claimed that while the reduction in retirement age would result in an additional burden of Rs. 200 crores on the exchequer on immediate basis, it would prove beneficial in the long run as it would lead to more job opportunities at the entry level.
It was on November 25 that Mr. Khattar had announced that retirement age of employees has been reduced to 58 years from 60 years. He had also stated that all employees who had completed 58 or 60 years in their respective categories and were still serving would be retired on November 30, 2014.
Though the Chief Minister had noted that the decision had been taken to ensure maximum employment opportunity to the youth, several employees unions and individuals had appealed against the decision in the High Court. On Tuesday, the Court dismissed the petitions filed by the employees against Haryana Government.
In their petition, the employees had charged that the decision to reduce the retirement age was politically motivated as the previous > Congress Government under Bhupinder Singh Hooda had only in August 2014 increased the retirement age from 58 to 60 years and also increased the age limit for entry into government services by two years to 42.
The petitioners had also sought parity with other cadres stating that judicial officers, Indian Administrative Services officials and teachers of colleges aided by the government were still retiring at the age of 60.
Raising a question of law, the petitioners had also charged that the decision of the BJP Government was illegal and void as the Council of Ministers lacked the minimum numbers.
But the Single Bench of Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa dismissed the bunch of petitions and upheld the decision of the Haryana Government.
