LAHORE: Accepting a long-standing demand, the Punjab government on Friday upgraded posts of its hundreds of technical cadre staff in lower grades.

The government also allowed time-scale promotion to employees in lower grades holding promotion or non-promotion posts where none or only one-time promotion in the entire service is prescribed in rules.

The government had last year upgraded clerical posts in the province, prompting technical cadre staff to seek the same through protests and representations at different levels.

According to a notification signed by the governor, the post of tracer has been upgraded from BS 5 to 9, draftsman from 11 to 13, draftsman of the chief architect office 13 to 14, head draftsman/divisional head draftsman 13 to15, motor vehicle examiner and sub-engineer 11 to 14, signaler/apprentice signaler irrigation 5 to 7, head signaler irrigation 9 to 11, storekeeper 5/6 to 7, senior storekeeper 7 to 9, sub-divisional clerk 9 to 14, accounts clerk 11 to 15, and stenographer 14 to 15.

The notification declares that only those incumbents of the post of accountant clerk would avail themselves of upgradation who are or were promoted from the post of senior clerk or sub-divisional clerk. Those are in lower scales and directly appointed against the post of accounts clerks would remain in the existing pay scales. Again, those stenographers who are already in BS-15 by vesture of selection grade would remain in the existing pay scale.

The other notification says the government has allowed time-scale promotion to employees in BS-5 to 15 holding promotion/non-promotion posts, where none of only one-time promotion in the entire service is prescribed in the rules, on satisfactory completion of each 10-year of service as per the following scheme: BS 11 to 15 (two steps), BS 5 to 10, auto CAD operator BS-12 and data entry operator BS-12 (three steps), and sanitarian BS-19 and surveyor BS11 (four steps).

The employees in BS-16 who availed time-scale promotion in BS-17 in pursuance of earlier policy will continue drawing their salaries in BS-17 till they hold the posts.

Henceforth, the employees in BS-16 will not be allowed time-scale promotion.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2017