MP to lift 8-year freeze on govt employees' promotion

This much-awaited resolution is set to unwrap a proposal soon to be presented before the cabinet, charting a course for enhanced career growth and opportunities within the state's administrative framework. The government is soon going to announce plans to lift the eight-year freeze on promotions for over four lakh government employees.

A proposal addressing this long-standing issue is set to be presented to the cabinet soon, promising significant relief and career growth opportunities for state employees.

In a post on his X handle, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday congratulated all employees of the state and said: "I am happy that the demand for promotion of government employees and officers of the state, pending for the last 8 years, is going to be fulfilled soon. We have found a way for promotion by discussing it at different levels. We are soon going to announce the good news of the promotion of more than 4 lakh employees and officers. Heartiest congratulations to all government employees and officers from my side."

The promotions of employees have been stalled since 2016, during which time more than one lakh employees retired without advancing to higher positions. "The government has now finalised a strategy to resolve the matter. Departments have been directed by the General Administration Department to convene Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meetings and issue promotion orders once cabinet approval is secured," a well-placed government source told IANS.

The promotion freeze followed a legal dispute regarding reservation policies in promotions. The Madhya Pradesh High Court struck down the MP Public Service (Promotion) Rules, 2002, which allowed reservation in promotions, arguing that benefits (of reservation) should only be granted once. The case was later taken to the Supreme Court, which ordered a status quo, halting promotions statewide. This left countless employees awaiting career advancements over the past eight years.

Chief Minister Yadav emphasised the urgency of addressing the issue, particularly after employees raised repeated demands and, reportedly, the Law Department initiated promotions for over 125 employees earlier this year. This step reignited calls for similar measures across all departments.

CM Yadav reassured that no financial burden would be imposed on the state, as the promotions would be tied to the existing time-scale pay structure. The move will benefit a wide spectrum of employees, particularly third-class employees, who make up a significant portion of the state workforce. Additionally, employees who joined government service in 2014-15 stand to gain from the implementation.

The promotions will also open up vacancies in lower-level positions, creating new job opportunities and addressing unemployment.

In government departments, the number of employees has gone up from 5,54,991 in 2020 to 6,06,876 as of March 31, 2024.

The school education department is the largest employer in the state with 22,56,098 headcounts or 37.18 per cent of the total number of employees followed by police and home department which has 93,634 headcounts or 15.43 of the total strength. The legal department has only 17,708 employees or 2.92 per cent of the total number of employees. However, salary is 22.9 per cent of the revenue receipts of the state government in 2025-26 (estimated) from 26.6 per cent in 2020. Similarly, pension is almost stagnated at 10 per cent of the revenue receipt.

The Chief Minister confirmed that promotions would proceed without demotions for the SC-ST employees, despite the court's 2024 ruling on the matter. This initiative is seen as a pivotal moment in reviving morale and fostering career progression within the state administration.