Raising the retirement age of government employees from 56 to 58 years and abolition of redundant posts have been mooted to bail out the State from the current fiscal crisis.
An expert panel headed Sunil Mani, director, Centre for Development Studies, which explored various options for mopping resources and paring down government expenditure in the wake of the resource crunch deepened by COVID-19, has said raising the retirement age would help save ₹5,265.97 crore annually in terms of benefit outflows and ease the pension burden in the long term, given the high life expectancy in the State.
An interim report submitted by the committee has proposed a five-day week schedule, with a rider that employees could work from home, if needed.
Ban on post creation
The committee has proposed a ban on post creation for two years in government and aided institutions and abolition of posts that have become redundant or have been vacant for more than a year.
It has mooted a review of temporary posts and cautioned against creation of new and regularisation of existing posts.
Leave norms
The maximum period of leave without allowance should be capped at five years and unauthorised absence beyond that time-frame should be treated as resignation.
This proposal has been put forward on detecting a blatant misuse of the Kerala Service Rules provisions to avail of 20 years of leave in spells of five years for taking up overseas assignments or joining spouse.
Contractual engagement of retired employees should be done away with. Whittling down clerical posts, especially in technical institutions, has been suggested in view of computerisation of departments and other institutions.
The 25,000-odd fresh entrants to government service annually may be paid only 75% of the total emoluments while on probation so that the government could save ₹66 crore annually, the report has said.
Leave encashment
The government may have a rethink on the earned leave provided to employees, a practice that exists only in Kerala. Employees may be allowed to accumulate leave up to 300 days during their entire service and encashment should ideally be allowed only during retirement.
Judicial commissions that have been functioning for more than 2 years should be asked to submit their final report in two months so that they could be wound up.
Reprioritisation of Plan projects in consultation with the Planing Board has also been proposed.
The panel has also proposed merger of uneconomic schools and a turnaround strategy for the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation.
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