Nitish Kumar cabinet's nod to new formula for promotions

Patna: The Bihar cabinet on Friday came out with a formula for the career advancement of lakhs of government employees which has been on hold because of a Supreme Court stay on reservation in promotions.

According to the formula approved at a cabinet meeting headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, promotions will be effected in 83 per cent of the posts in every cadre and a study will be conducted to find out how many beneficiaries belong to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Briefing reporters about the decision, S Sidharth, the additional chief secretary of cabinet secretariat department, said, "If the percentage of SCs and STs was found to be less than 16 per cent and one per cent, respectively, the government will take a call later as to what needs to be done."

Of the 17 per cent posts that would be excluded at the outset, one per cent would be left for SCs and remaining for STs and "these will be filled subject to the final decision of the Supreme Court".

Sidharth said the new formula will replace the existing roster system of promotions and benefit employees, who have been shouldering higher responsibilities while remaining content with pay scales for a lower rank.

"For example, there are many officials who are discharging duties of an executive engineer but drawing salaries, and holding the rank of, a superintending engineer. The new system will help them get promotional benefits, including hiked remuneration", said the additional chief secretary.

He also added, "If the Supreme Court gives an adverse order, those who have been promoted under the new formula will suffer demotion but the extra remuneration they enjoyed during the period shall not be recovered from them".