State government forms staff rationalisation panel to cut expenses
CHENNAI: As announced in October last, the State government has formed staff rationalisation committee to identify non-essential posts to reduce the revenue expenditure and to identify the categories of posts which could be outsourced.
The committee will be headed by retired IAS officer S Audiseshaiah. MA Siddique, Secretary (Expenditure), Finance department will be the ex-officio secretary to the committee. The committee has been directed to submit its report within six months.
When the committee was announced five months ago, opposition parties including DMK and PMK strongly opposed the move, charging that it was being done with an ulterior motive to scale down the number of permanent government employees.
The terms of reference for the committee include evaluation of staff structure in various departments and identify non-essential posts, so as to reduce revenue expenditure and also identify categories of posts which can be outsourced or filled up with contract workers for an initial period to control expenditure.
The committee will also consider any other relevant issue concerning administrative expenditure management in government and government agencies and make suitable recommendations.
Way back in 2001, the AIADMK government formed the staff and expenditure reforms commission headed by retired IAS officer Dr AM Swaminathan to review the staffing and administrative expenditure pattern of the government departments and agencies and make recommendations on reduction of their functions, administrative structure and levels of staffing, keeping in view the need to enhance the efficiency of delivery of services, and potential for increasing public-private participation.