The state cabinet has sanctioned a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) for Group C permanent employees of the state government. The scheme has been devised to keep the promise made by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, during his budget speech.
The new VRS aims to permit older employees to exit the service, streamlining departmental strength and enabling the government to reduce ongoing expenses associated with such staff. All positions becoming vacant due to this voluntary retirement, will be permanently eliminated, except for positions related to teaching and health-related technical roles.
Workers in the Group ‘C’ category are those essaying roles such as pharmacists, lab technicians, head clerks/section heads, police head constables, typists, stenographers, tax assistants, telephone operators, TTEs, junior engineers, cartographers, draughtsmen, estimators, and others.
The scheme will cover employees aged 45 and above. These employees can apply for voluntary retirement by submitting a written request to the appointing authority. Furthermore, an employee opting for the scheme will receive additional credit of up to five years for calculating the minimum qualifying service of 20 years, specifically for the purpose of retirement gratuity.
Until they reach the superannuation age, employees will receive compensation for their service. This compensation will amount to two months’ salary for each year of service left until superannuation.
Furthermore, if there are any departmental or judicial inquiries ongoing against government employees choosing the voluntary retirement scheme, the committee members may approve the application, provided other terms and conditions are met. However, during the pendency of such inquiries, certain retirement benefits, including additional benefits, will be withheld until their completion.
Decisions concerning the acceptance or rejection of a VRS application, post abolition, etc., will be proposed by a two-member committee consisting of the department head and its most senior officer. Additionally, it will remain open for a duration of four months from its official gazette publication date.