Bhopal: After showering sops on farmers, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday announced a big bonanza for employees of his government ahead of the year-end assembly polls in the state, by extending the retirement age for them by two years to 62.
He justified the decision to increase the retirement age of the state government employees, saying, “The issue relating to reservation in promotion in government sector is pending before the Supreme Court for long denying many employees to get promotion. The retirement age has been increased to do justice to them”. “Every employee has the right to get promotion”, he added. Around five lakh employees of MP government would benefit by the announcement.
The state government has earlier made a provision of reservation for SC/ ST employees in promotion, which has been set aside by the MP high court.
This has forced the state government to move the Supreme Court to challenge the high court’s order. However, the apex court has directed to maintain status quo till disposal of the case. Many employees could not avail the chance of getting promotions due to this. “I hope, the issue will be settled in the court within two years”, Mr Chouhan said. Opposition Congress however criticised the decision. “This will deprive the younger officials, employees from getting promotion,”Congress Legislature Party leader Ajay Singh said.
The state government should announced unemployment allowance of '2000 per month for the jobless educated youths in the state”, Congress Legislature Party leader Ajay Singh said.
In a related development, the newly formed Berozgari Sena, an outfit of educated unemployed, lambasted the decision to increase retirement age of government employees describing it, a “betrayal of unemployed youths”.
“There are around 1.5 crore educated unemployed youths in MP. The decision will hit their prospects of getting government jobs. We will challenge the decision in the court”, Akshyaya Hunka, president of the organisation said.
Earlier, Mr Chouhan has announced a series of sops for farmers including bonus on wheat and some other farm produce procured by the state government from them directly.
