Govt staff rationalisation process in initial stages, says Jayakumar

Sources said that the state cabinet has given its nod for a staff rationalisation panel. The committee will go into the existing set up of government employees in all departments and will identify job roles that are deemed unnecessary. On identification, the government is expected to abolish such roles. 

The brief for the panel also involves recommending ways and means for filling other vacancies through either by external agencies or by way of contract. It would help government save by cost cutting. Employees’ association is of the view that the whole idea of staff rationalisation was ill conceived, and ill advised. 

“As work in government offices go on at a snail’s pace, the blame will fall on the employees instead of the real issue. The fact that there aren’t enough employees is conveniently overlooked by the policy makers. Less employees will invariably delay and impact the existing work force,” said K Ganesan, an office-bearer of a recognised employees’ union in the state Secretariat. He is not alone, as the principal opposition DMK too has opposed the move soon after it was made public. 

DMK working president MK Stalin said the government should first focus on filing vacant positions in all departments in the state. “A suspicion arises whether the government has an ulterior motive to scale down the number of permanent government employees by going in for a staff rationalisation panel,” the leader of Opposition said. When contacted, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar said that the preliminary works are under way and that there is no need to panic. 

“It is done in good faith and it is a major process. It will cover every department that comes under the purview of the state,” Jayakumar, who also holds the portfolio of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, said.  Total Revenue Receipts (TRRs) were projected at Rs 1,59,363 crore in the 2017-18 budget estimates, revenue expenditure stood at Rs 1,75,293 crore resulting in a revenue deficit of Rs 15,930 crore. 

As regards the implementation of Seventh Pay Commission, the deficit will go up since the state will have to cough up Rs 8,016 crore towards salary and Rs 6,703 crore towards pension and other retirement benefits, adding up to Rs 14,719 crore in total.