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Allowance parity for Punjab, Haryana staff on Chandigarh deputation
Boost for over 1,000 employees, as they receive the benefits with retrospective effect from April 1, 2022
In a major boost to around 1,000 employees from Punjab and Haryana posted on deputation in Chandigarh, the UT administration has okayed key service-related allowances to bring them on par with regular employees of the administration.
The employees will receive the benefits with retrospective effect from April 1, 2022.
According to estimates, an employee is expected to receive pending arrears of up to ₹5 lakh, including dearness allowance (DA), enhanced house rent allowance (HRA), travelling allowance, children education allowance, arising from fresh pay fixation, and revised basic pay under the Seventh Pay Commission. In addition, the employees will now see a salary hike of around ₹10,000 to ₹12,000 a month.
The decision is in keeping with the consolidated guidelines on deputation and foreign service issued by the Government of India’s Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on March 28, 2024.
The move ensures parity between regular UT employees and officers serving on deputation from Punjab, Haryana and other parent cadres. The order also refers to the service rules of Haryana and Punjab, which already provide that deputationists are entitled to allowances applicable in the borrowing government.
The administration clarified that allowances not admissible to regular employees of equivalent status in the borrowing organisation will not be payable to the deputationists in Chandigarh.
All departments and offices under the Chandigarh administration have been directed to implement the instructions with immediate effect and ensure that eligible employees receive their dues without delay.
Welcoming the decision, Punjab and Haryana employees welfare association president Ranbir Jhorar expressed gratitude to the UT administrator, chief secretary, finance secretary and personnel secretary for what he described as their “visionary leadership and sensitive approach.”
He said the issue had been pending since 2022 and the decision would significantly boost employee morale while strengthening trust and coordination between the administration and its workforce.
Meanwhile, in August last year, the Chandigarh administration vested final authority for recruitment rules, service rule amendments and deputation matters with the UT administrator. As per a notification issued by the Department of Personnel, all cases related to framing or amending service and recruitment rules for Group A, B and C posts, as well as appointments and relieving of deputationists, now require the administrator’s approval.
Deputation tenure capped at seven years
In March last year, the UT administration also notified a revised deputation policy, capping the tenure of employees deputed to Chandigarh at a maximum of seven years. The policy applies to Group A, B and C employees from Punjab and Haryana.
Under the policy, the deputation or foreign service period will be governed by the Recruitment Rules of the ex-cadre post, or limited to five years where no tenure is specified. No extension beyond seven years will be granted, and repatriation will be carried out on a first-in-first-out basis.
A large number of deputationists from neighbouring states are working in Chandigarh, particularly in the education, health and engineering departments.
