VIJAYAWADA: The State government on Monday promulgated an ordinance enhancing the retirement age of employees from 60 to 62 years.While announcing the fitment after holding talks with the employees’ unions on the Pay Revision Commission (PRC) report, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy stated that the retirement age of State government staff would be enhanced to 62 from 60 years. The State cabinet gave its nod to the enhancement of the retirement age on January 21.
As the Legislative Assembly is not in session now, Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan promulgated the Andhra Pradesh Public Employment (Regulation of age of superannuation) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022, which is deemed to have come into force on January 1, 2022.
Justifying the enhancement of retirement age, the government noted that there has been a significant improvement in the average life expectancy of people compared to 2014. As per the World Health Organisation, the global average life expectancy in 2019 was around 73 years and the average Indian lived up to 70 years, it said, adding there has been a general improvement in health conditions as well.
“To utilise the experience and expertise of senior employees and considering the increased life expectancy and improved health conditions in general, it has been proposed to enhance the current age of superannuation from 60 to 62 years for all the State government employees,” a gazette notification stated.
Special Chief Secretary (Finance) SS Rawat issued an order to this effect. The AP Public Employment (Regulation of age of superannuation) Act, 1984 was previously amended in 2014, increasing the retirement age from 58 to 60 years. Meanwhile, the standoff between the State government and the employees’ unions, which have been agitating for the withdrawal of the GOs issued on the PRC, continued.
Municipal Administration Minister Botcha Satyanarayana said the employees’ union leaders did not turn up for talks though they waited for them for three days. On the other hand, the employees’ unions claimed that the government had just sent a WhatsApp message for talks. Their representatives were not treated in a respectful manner when they went for talks, they alleged.
Staff unions invited for talks
The State government has invited the employees’ union leaders for talks on the Pay Revision Commission issue with the Committee of Ministers at the Secretariat at 12 pm on Tuesday.