Govt yet to receive proposal for reducing retirement age

There is no proposal to reduce the retirement age of its employees from 60 to 58 years, the Centre said on Thursday even as it noted that 78 per cent of its total wage bill of over Rs one lakh crore (Rs one trillion) is spent on three departments-- railways, home and defence (civil).

In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Jitendra Singh said, "The retirement age for Central Government employees was revised from 58-60 years in 1997 on the basis of recommendations of the fifth Central Pay Commission," and that there is no such proposal "at present" to reduce the age.

To a query whether the Centre's was aware of the Haryana government's move to reduce the retirement age of its employees, Singh replied in affirmative saying, "The various state governments are having their own service conditions for their employees."

He also ruled out that there was any proposal to fix single retirement age limit policy in all state government's and PSU in the country.

"There is no such proposal at present. Age of retirement in state governments/PSUs is decided by respective state governments and board of PSUs etc depending on their requirements," Singh said.

The Minister also said that the total wage bill of central government employees in 2012-13 was Rs 1.04 lakh crore or Rs one trillion whereas in 2011-12 it was Rs 92,264.88 crore or Rs 922.64 billion and in 2010-11 it was Rs 85,963.50 crore or Rs 859.63 billion.

The details in the reply showed the highest wage bill was that of the railways which incurred Rs 38,560 crore (almost 38 per cent of total wage bill) in 2012-13, Rs 35,097.08 crore or Rs 350.97 billion in 2011-12 and Rs 33,580.41 crore or Rs 335.80 billion in 2010-11.