The Madhya Pradesh government is set to amend pension and service rules affecting over seven lakh regular employees and more than four lakh pensioners in the state.
After years of delay, a four-member committee will be formed to review these rules, complete the examination within a year, and submit a report with recommendations.
The Pension Rules 1976 are among the first set to be reviewed, with the possibility of amendments in the current financial year.
The Employees Commission has already submitted a report, but a final decision is still pending. The government aims to establish this committee within the month.
New Rules May Align with National Changes
In recent years, the Indian Government has introduced updates to pension rules, allowing family pensions for unmarried daughters, widows, and abandoned women over 25.
However, such provisions have yet to be included in Madhya Pradesh’s state regulations.
Three years ago, a Staff Commission led by retired IAS officer GP Singhal reviewed pension rules and proposed updates to the Finance Department.
Following this, the Finance Department sought input from the Pension Directorate, which was provided, but no final decision has been made.
Service Recruitment Rules and Allowances Under Review
In addition to pension rules, the government plans to revise the recruitment rules and allowances.
Allowances like house rent have not been increased for a long time, despite a study conducted by former Finance Secretary Ajit Kumar.
Employee organizations have voiced concerns over pay discrepancies across different job cadres, emphasizing the need for reforms in recruitment and service rules.
The Finance and General Administration Departments will coordinate the upcoming review, supplying necessary documents to the committee.
To ensure employee concerns are addressed, input from various employee organizations will be sought.
Previously, the Kamal Nath government created an Employees Commission, which the current administration retained.
Retired IAS GP Singhal led this commission but did not hold discussions with employee organizations.
Now, the new committee will engage with these organizations to ensure their voices are included in the reform process.
