MULTAN: The Services and General Administration Department has clarified that the widow of a government servant will not be deprived of job in case of remarriage.

Regarding appointment of the widow of a government official under Rule 17-A of the Punjab Civil Servant (Appointment and Conditions of Service) Rules of 1974, five points were raised by the Khushab deputy commissioner in which he sought guidance.

The points included: whether widow of a government servant would be provided job on permanent basis or contract? If she is provided a job on permanent basis, what will be the status if she remarries? If she was appointed on contract basis and she remarried, her contract will be terminated or otherwise? In case a contractee widow remarries, is she eligible for regularization under the Regulation Act of 2018 and in case of termination of services of widow on the ground of remarriage, whether the right of job under Rule-17-A will also exhausted or claimed by the children of the deceased government servant?

The DC got the following response: “As per regulations wing, S&GAD’s circular letter on Oct 29, 2019, all recruitments under Rules 17-A shall be made on a regular basis in future; once the widow joined the service on a regular basis, she is a civil servant and cannot be deprived of her job on account of remarriage, however if she had married before joining service, another legal heir of the deceased might be considered for this benefit; the contract employees are governed under the terms and conditions of the their appointment and if no embargo as to remarry has been imposed in these terms and conditions, then it cannot be made the basis of contract termination and regularization of a contract employee is to be made in the light of the regulations act 2018 and is she meets the conditions laid down in the act ibid, she is eligible for regulation while her remarrying may not prejudice her case under the act ibid.”

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2020