The Punjab government on Wednesday approved certain amendments to the Punjab Civil Services Rules for granting new pay scales (matrix) on the pattern of the seventh Central Pay Commission for all fresh recruitments to the State government and its entities.
The decision to amend volume-I, part-1, rule 4.1(1) to bring the pay scales for all prospective recruitments — direct recruitments, compassionate appointments — at par with the Central government scale was taken during a virtual Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, an official statement said.
The State finance department had on July 17, 2020 issued instructions that these pay scales in any cadre of any administrative department of the Punjab government or its entities shall not be higher than the pay scales for the same cadre in the government of India, as notified as per the recommendations of the seventh Central Pay Commission.
The Cabinet also approved restructuring of 10 departments, to boost their functional efficacy through fresh recruitments and technical upgradation.
The statement said it was decided to create new and more relevant posts where required in place of the existing non-essential or antiquated ones, many of which had been lying vacant for prolonged periods. The move also marks a major shift towards modernisation of government departments to equip them to meet contemporary operational challenges, it added.
The Cabinet authorised the Chief Minister to amend rules as and where needed to carry out the proposed recruitment after completion of the restructuring process. The key departments to be restructured include Labour, Technical Education-Industrial Training, Public Works Department (B&R), Animal Husbandry, Fisheries-Dairy Development, Tourism-Cultural Affairs and Local Governance.
