ISLAMABAD – The federal government on Monday initiated work on amending the Civil Servants Act of 1973, following recommendations from the Rightsizing Committee.
The proposed changes could potentially impact as many as 60,000 government employees.
According to the sources, the Rightsizing Committee has put forward recommendations that would lead to significant adjustments within the federal workforce.
To mitigate the impact, a program is being developed to reassign the affected officers and staff to other departments.
In the first phase of the plan, employees identified for downsizing will be placed in a surplus pool.
Subsequently, in the second phase, these surplus employees will be transferred to other departments. The government is also considering offering a golden handshake to these employees as part of the transition process.
The documents revealed that the amendments are specifically being made to Sections 2 and 11 of the Civil Servants Act.
Section 2 pertains to the conditions under which employees are appointed, while Section 11 deals with the termination of employment and matters related to pensions.
Furthermore, the Finance Division has recommended adding a clause to Section 19 of the Act.
This proposed clause would grant the federal government the authority to reduce, increase, or eliminate pension benefits as necessary.
The Establishment Division has already prepared the draft amendment, which is expected to be presented to the Cabinet for approval in the near future.
