Boss today, subordinate tomorrow: 1L govt employees face ‘demotion'

Time of India

05-07-2025

Ashish Sharma (name changed), an assistant grade II employee in the state secretariat, currently holds charge of section officer -- a post two levels above his regular rank. With departmental promotions now under way, he fears losing the position he has held for years.
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Rakesh Kumar (name changed), posted in the home department and holding charge of a senior role, shares the same concern. Ashish and Rakesh are among thousands of state govt employees worried they may be moved down from the posts they have been managing since promotions were stalled in 2016.
Bhopal: Ashish Sharma and Rakesh Kumar are among over one lakh govt employees holding senior posts under stopgap arrangements, who now face demotion as the state resumed departmental promotions after a nine-year freeze under newly framed rules.
Promotions across departments were halted in 2016 following a court order. To address resentment among govt staff, the govt started giving charge of senior posts to them. In many cases, the employees have been given charge of two posts above from their actual post.
After the ongoing promotion process was done, officials said, the govt employees would get one promotion. It will lead to employees having charge of two posts or positions above their basic post to come down to one level.
In many cases employees would not get any promotion at all, as there is reservation of 36 per cent. Number of general category employees would come after the reserved category.
The MP Public Service Promotion Rules, 2025, provisions include 20% reservation for Scheduled Tribes (ST) and 16% for Scheduled Castes (SC). SC and ST public servants will also have the opportunity for promotion based on merit.
Even if stepped down from in-charge post, it would not lead to any financial losses to employees, as in case of getting charge of a senior or higher post, the employees get salary of their basic post.
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There is provision of allowance for employees working on one level higher post.
Mantralaya Seva Adhikari Karamchari Sangh president Sudhir Nayak said it would be an insult for govt employees to come down to a lower post from their current post.
Uma Shankar Tiwari, state secretary of Tritya Varg Karamchari Sangh, said: "Over a lakh of govt employees were given charge of a senior post. All such employees fear to get reverted after the new promotion rules with reservation.
The govt must clarify the position of employees working as in-charge in various departments.
These in-charge roles were initially assigned based on seniority to ensure smooth functioning of the depts. However, with the introduction of new promotion rules, many of these in-charge officers may have to return to their original or lower posts.
The senior officers in the general administration dept confirmed that there could be cases wherein an employee may have to come down to a lower post after the promotion process was completed.