Govt fixes age limit for OSDs

Chandigarh, Just three days before the results for the Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections are announced, the state government today initiated the process of dispensing the services of “politically-appointed, ageing Officers on Special Duty (OSDs)” in various government departments.
The government fixed an age bar of 65 years for OSDs, most of who were picked by their political bosses, irrespective of their advancing age.
The OSD (Litigation) appointed in various departments will be allowed to serve up to a maximum of 65 years or three years of service, whichever is earlier.
With this, at least two of the OSDs — one in the Local Bodies Department and another in the Punjab Civil Secretariat — will be sent packing immediately.
There are nine sanctioned posts of OSD (Litigation) in the departments of Irrigation, Health, Local Bodies, Home, Public Works Department, Rural Development and Panchayats, Food and Supplies, and Water Supply and Sanitation Department.
It is a known fact that the posts were generally allocated to the “faithfuls of the political bosses of the day”. In some cases, the OSDs are touching almost 70 years of age, and continue to not only hold their posts, but also call shots in their administrative departments. Retired bureaucrats and legal officers have been appointed on these posts.
The decision was taken after the tenure of seven of these OSDs got over on February 28. In cases where the OSDs are less than 65, the government has extended their tenure till March 31, while asking the administrative departments to review the matter after the new government is formed on March 11. These departments have also been asked to submit a fresh concurrence for the continuation of these posts after the new government takes over.
Initially, the government issued directions, fixing the age bar for such posts at 63 years. These directions were issued on March 3, but following a hue and cry being raised on fixing the bar at 63 years, a second direction was issued by the Finance Department yesterday, raising the bar to 65 years, or three years of service, whichever is early.
The new directions say that the Personnel Department will be framing a new policy for appointing OSDs by March 31, for optimum utilisation of manpower and better control, while ensuring a more “transparent method of recruitment” on these posts.