Tripura to regularise pensions of 13k employees who received ad hoc promotion in 2021, subject to outcome of plea before SC

Promotions of government employees in Tripura were halted after 2015 as no new entry-level vacancies were created, but senior positions also remained vacant, prompting the BJP-led government to introduce ad hoc promotions in 2021.

Tripura Tourism Minister and BJP leader Sushanta Chowdhury. (Express File Photo)

In a significant move, the ruling BJP-led government in Tripura Monday announced that it would treat all post-retirement financial benefits of employees promoted via a one-time ad hoc promotion in 2021 as “regular” benefits.

The move comes as a relief to over 13,000 employees who were awarded ad hoc promotion four years ago to ensure smooth functioning of the government at various levels since promotions were stalled in the state due to an ongoing case before the Supreme Court.

Speaking to reporters in Agartala on Monday evening, state Tourism and Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, who is also the Cabinet spokesperson, said, “A Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the former government before the Supreme Court is still underway in this regard. After our government was formed (in 2018), we decided to award a one-time ad hoc promotion to 13,082 employees.”

The minister said those who retired after receiving the ad hoc promotion were only receiving post-superannuation financial benefits commensurate to the positions they held before the promotion.

“The Cabinet carefully examined the issue, and a committee headed by retired high court judge, Justice Arindam Lodh, was formed. Based on its recommendations, the Cabinet has resolved today that the pension of employees who received ad hoc promotions would be treated as regular pension, subject to the outcome of the SLP before the Supreme Court,” he added.

“We shall inform the Supreme Court about our decision. If the Supreme Court decides positively, it will be positive. If the apex court decides negatively, it will be negative,” Chowdhury said.

In April this year, Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy said 31,056 posts were rendered vacant in different departments across Group A, B, C and D from 2018-19 to 2024-25 due to employees retiring from service. This included 3,829 vacancies in 2018-19; 4,596 posts in 2019-20; 4,412 posts in 2020-21; 4,342 vacancies in 2021-22; 4,678 in 2022-23; 4,604 in 2023-24; and another 4,595 posts in 2024-25.

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Among them, 6,779 posts were in the Group D category, while a majority of the others in Group A, B and C categories were in senior levels, which can only be filled through promotions.

The finance minister had said that all promotions were halted since 2015 as no new vacancies were created in entry-level positions, but senior positions were also not getting filled, prompting the government to introduce the ad hoc promotion policy in 2021 in a bid to resolve the impasse.

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