Madhya Pradesh to End 8-Year Promotion Ban for State Employees

Bhopal, April 9 (NationPress) In a significant development, the government of Madhya Pradesh, led by Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, has decided to end the eight-year-long suspension on promotions affecting over 400,000 government employees.

This eagerly anticipated decision is poised to unveil a proposal that will soon be submitted to the cabinet, paving the way for improved career advancement and prospects within the state's administrative structure. An official announcement regarding the termination of the promotion freeze is expected shortly.

A proposal addressing this longstanding concern is scheduled for presentation to the cabinet soon, offering substantial relief and career progression opportunities for state employees.

In a message posted on his X handle, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed his delight on Tuesday, stating: “I am pleased to announce that the long-standing demand for promotions for government employees and officers, pending for the past 8 years, is set to be fulfilled soon. We have identified a solution for promotions through discussions at various levels. We will soon share the good news regarding the promotion of over 400,000 employees and officers. Heartfelt congratulations to all government employees and officers from my side.”

Since 2016, promotions for employees have been halted, during which time over 100,000 employees retired without advancing to higher positions. “The government has now developed a plan to resolve this issue. Departments have been instructed by the General Administration Department to convene Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meetings and issue promotion orders once cabinet approval is granted,” a reliable government source informed IANS.

The promotion freeze resulted from a legal dispute concerning reservation policies in promotions. The Madhya Pradesh High Court invalidated the MP Public Service (Promotion) Rules, 2002, which allowed reservations in promotions, asserting that benefits (of reservation) should only be provided once. This case was subsequently escalated to the Supreme Court, which mandated a status quo, thereby halting promotions across the state. This left numerous employees in limbo regarding their career advancements for the past eight years.

Chief Minister Yadav underscored the necessity of addressing this issue, particularly after employees consistently advocated for change, and reportedly, the Law Department initiated promotions for over 125 employees earlier this year. This action reignited demands for similar measures across all departments.

CM Yadav assured that no additional financial burden would be placed on the state, as promotions would be linked to the existing time-scale pay structure. This initiative will benefit a wide array of employees, especially third-class employees, who constitute a significant portion of the state workforce. Furthermore, employees who commenced government service in 2014-15 stand to benefit from this implementation.

The forthcoming promotions will also create vacancies in lower-level positions, generating new job opportunities and addressing unemployment concerns.

The number of employees in government departments has risen from 554,991 in 2020 to 606,876 as of March 31, 2024.

The school education department remains the largest employer in the state, with 2,256,098 employees, accounting for 37.18% of the total workforce, followed by the police and home department with 93,634 employees, or 15.43% of the total. The legal department, however, has only 17,708 employees, representing 2.92% of the total workforce. Notably, salaries are projected to account for 22.9% of the state government’s revenue receipts in 2025-26 (estimated), down from 26.6% in 2020. Similarly, pensions have remained relatively stagnant at 10% of the revenue receipts.

The Chief Minister confirmed that promotions would continue without demotions for SC-ST employees, irrespective of the court's 2024 ruling on the issue. This initiative is perceived as a crucial moment for revitalizing morale and promoting career development within the state administration.