Punjab govt red flags UT’s draft recruitment rules

CHANDIGARH: Raising objections over the UT education department’s draft recruitment rules, the Punjab government has said deputation from Punjab and Haryana must not be considered as a “normal deputation”, and no “fixed tenure” can be imposed on officials coming on deputation from Punjab to Chandigarh.
In a letter to the UT administration, as approved by the Punjab chief minister, the government has demanded that existing 20% deputationist quota should be increased to 40% in total UT education department posts.Key top posts in the UT education department should be reserved for Punjab officers, Punjab has demanded.

It has objected to placing Punjab deputationists at the bottom of seniority list. Punjab has also opposed the condition of ‘5-year’ experience for a deputation post as laid down in draft rules.
In April this year, the Punjab government had constituted a committee to examine the draft UT recruitment rules, and the objections/comments are based on its report.
Objecting to the fixed tenure for Punjab and Haryana deputationists to Chandigarh, Punjab quotes the 1966 order of the ministry of home affairs (MHA), saying, “The term ‘deputation’ is to be understood not in the ordinary sense of the word as a temporary measure but as part of the method of intake for filling up posts in the various departments of the UT of Chandigarh.”
Further backing its claim that deputationists from Punjab and Haryana are not “normal deputationists”, Punjab quotes another order, from ministry of personnel, which states, “Arrangements necessitated by staff imbalances arising on reorganization of offices on the same or different stations... will not be treated as deputation.”
On requirement of 5-year experience for a deputationists, Punjab has said very few officials are able to fulfil the condition. “As a result, the ratio of 60:40 that determines the filling up of posts in the departments of UT administration, is violated and positions remain vacant.”
Stating that deputationists quota of Punjab and Haryana (in ratio, 60: 40) should be increased from 20% to 40% in total posts, Punjab has reasoned, “Given the fact that Chandigarh serves as the capital to Punjab and to its neighbour, Haryana, and that a large number of teachers from Punjab benefit by deputation to Chandigarh for professional and family reasons and given the special position of Chandigarh with respect to two states, its students are best placed to benefit by exposure to the experience and learning of teachers from these states.”
Punjab has further demanded that filling in at least one post of deputy director, one post of district education officer/assistant director and at least one post of deputy district education officer/principal through intake from the department of school education, Government of Punjab, should be done by the UT administration.
Punjab has objected to the placing of officials from the department of school education, Government of Punjab, at the bottom of the seniority list of a particular cadre. It has proposed that a combined seniority list based on parameters agreed on by both Punjab and UT administration may be decided through the constitution of a committee of officials from Punjab and UT administration. This will ensure fairness in work and promotion for officials of the two states and UT, the government said.