Tripura to recruit only for replacing retired staff

GUWAHATI: The BJP-led Tripura government has decided that fresh recruitments to government services should be restricted to the number of retirements which take place each year. Tripura has the highest number of government jobs in the country and the expenditure on salaries (including establishment expenses), pensions and debt repayment constitutes about 80% of its expenditure, leaving very little for development activities.
A finance department memorandum issued on December 17 by Chief Secretary LK Gupta states, “Given the fact that Tripura already has the highest level of government employment in the country, fresh recruitment should be restricted to the retirements taking place in a year.

Hence, any proposal for filling up vacant posts should be accompanied by information –– the retirement profile of the department, that is, the number of retirements taking place during the year.”

The memorandum states that the government had to take this step as salaries constitute the largest item of expenditure and it was necessary to exercise financial prudence and discipline while committing expenditure under these heads. Some departments have a wrong notion that the finance department has unlimited funds for salaries and that they are entitled to fill up all vacant posts and create new ones, which was not the case, it stated.

“Henceforth, the finance department will monitor, on a monthly basis, the expenditure on salaries and wages by each department and as soon as any department is found exceeding their salaries and wages budget, immediate corresponding/equivalent cut will be made in their non-salary budget. No single department will be allowed to upset the finances of the government through irresponsible action,” the memorandum stated.