The Committee of Secretaries (CoS) has suggested that the decision on raising retirement age of employees to 60 years in sick PSUs should be taken up on a case-to-case basis.
The Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises (BRPSE), set up in 2004 as an advisory body to the government on reviving sick PSUs, had recommended to the Department of Public Enterprises for raising the retirement age of employees of loss-making PSUs.
In 17 sick PSUs, for which the government has approved the revival package, the superannuation age is 58 at present.
Recently a meeting of CoS, headed by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Kumar Seth, took place on the issue.
“The Cabinet Secretary has said it may not be appropriate to prescribe general policy for all 17 CPSEs as the revival packages for these units have been sanctioned by the government after examination on a case-to-case basis and taking into account the financial position and turnaround plan of the concerned PSU,” an official told PTI.
The idea to enhance the limit in sick PSUs is to bring uniformity in retirement age with profit-making PSUs.
“Since the revival packages are in various stages of implementation, the CoS felt that the decision should be based on comprehensive examination of its impact on the implementation of revival package of the concerned CPSE,” the official said.
The examination may involve the study of age-profile of the staff, financial implication of increase in retirement age and the capability of CPSE to bear such additional financial burden, he said.
Further, the CoS said the recommendation of BRPSE could thereafter form the basis for the decision.
“The board can thoroughly examine the impact of increase in retirement age on the implementation of the package of the concerned CPSE,” the official said.
If there is a case for recommending the proposal, the board would convey to the concerned ministry for obtaining the approval of the competent authority, he said.
Of the 260 CPSEs, about 66 were sick units, as on March 31, 2012.