Chandigarh limits employee deputation to seven years

The Chandigarh administration has officially announced a new policy regarding employees on deputation. This policy limits their tenure to a maximum of seven years. The decision affects employees from Punjab and Haryana, mainly in sectors like education, health, and engineering. The notification comes over a year after the administration drafted this policy. It states that no extensions beyond the seven-year limit will be granted. Employees will be sent back to their original states on a first-in-first-out basis. This policy aligns with central service rules that have been in effect since April 2022. Currently, around 700 employees are on deputation in Chandigarh. Most of them work in education and health. In schools, 80% of teachers are from the Union Territory (UT) cadre, with the remaining 20% from Punjab and Haryana. There are 894 posts allocated for these deputed teachers, but 254 of them are unfilled. Some leaders have praised this decision, saying it could help local UT employees advance in their careers. However, others, including members of the AAP and Congress, oppose the policy. They argue that it discriminates against employees from Punjab and Haryana, who also have a stake in Chandigarh as their capital. Critics, including the president of the Punjab and Haryana Employees Welfare Association, believe the rules are vague and impractical. They call for the Punjab government to address this issue with authorities.