MP govt to give promotion benefits to all employees, says CM Shivraj

BHOPAL: In a major sop to the state government employees ahead of the assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday announced raising the retirement age to 62 years from the current 60.
Chouhan also said that government would also provide promotion benefit to the employees even after retirement. Chouhan’s decision would benefit more than five lakh employees in the state.
“There are several employees who are not able to get promotion as the case related to reservation in promotion is pending with the Supreme Court. Since the apex court has to take decision on the matter, a large number of employees are retiring without promotion. We will ensure that all such employees get the benefit of promotion within the job or after retirement. Apart from this we have also decided to increase the employees’ retirement age from 60 to 62 years”, Chouhan said during a ‘Meet the Press’ programme.
As per the official reports, the state government had made a provision for reservation for SC-ST employees in promotion, which was set aside by the Madhya Pradesh high court. The state’s appeal against the order is pending in the Supreme Court with the latter ordering a status quo. This has kept on hold promotions of state government employees and more than 30,000 employees are attaining superannuation without promotion every year, said officials.
Chouhan expressed hope that SC would take a decision on it within the next two years. The employee unions have hailed Chouhan’s decision on the promotion issue saying this would benefit more than five lakh working and retired employees in the state.
Replying to queries on spurt in criminal activities and speculations on police commissioner system, the chief minister said that government will not spare anybody found guilty of committing crime against women.
“We have taken a strict stand to curb crimes against women and would not spare anybody. The government is seriously thinking on the proposal for implementing police commissionerate system. Madhya Pradesh has its own circumstances for maintaining law and order and whatever deemed fit would be done to maintain peace”, said Chouhan indicating amendments in proposal on giving rights to police.
The chief minister also said that issues related to farmers, women safety and commissionerate system were not political agenda or raised during elections, the state government had been working on these issues and also obtained good results. He also denied that IAS-IPS were at loggerheads over the police commissioner system.
“Public security is our priority and I have only this in mind. There is no ego clash on commissionerate system and IAS-IPS issue is not at all in the scene”, said Chouhan adding that the police force has been increased from 70,000 in 2003 to more than one lakh at present.

The chief minister also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the next kin of the journalist Sandeep Sharma, who was killed in an accident in Bhind on Monday. Chouhan said that the government would also bear the expenses of the education of Sandeep’s two children.
Chouhan said agriculture being the priority of the state government, efforts were also underway to focus on basic infrastructure since the BJP government came to power in the state. The government has also joined the 2 lakh crore club while presenting the state budget for the year 2018-19. Now the main focus will be to expand the facilities, he said.

“We have plans to increase the irrigated area to 80 lakh hectare by 2025. We also aim to spend Rs 1.10 lakh crore on increasing irrigation facilities for the farmers. The road network has been laid and additional funds have been released to provide potable water in drought-affected areas”, said Chouhan.
Chouhan further said that in view of the slow pace in education and health sectors, the government has decided to give special attention by increasing the wages of the teachers and health employees and opening more schools and hospitals across the state.