ACP Scheme for Junior Engineers

                    Government of Punjab, Department of Personnel (Personnel Policies Branch-1) issued instructions vide its letter No. I.D.No.7/56/99-5PPI/8014 Dated, Chandigarh the 27th June 2000 regarding the removal of anomalies in the pay scale of Junior Engineers and grant of Career Progression, Class-II Status and designation as Assistant Engineer to Junior Engineers in the state. On the recommendations of a committee of Administrative Secretaries, the state government has decided to extend the benefit of 'Career Progression' to the Junior Engineers as under:- 

•  After a service of 8 years in a post in the same 'cadre', a Junior Engineer in the existing scale of 5800-9200, who is not promoted to the next higher level shall be granted next higher scale of 6400-10640 with the same designation. 
•  After a service of 16 years in a post in the same 'cadre', a Junior Engineer in the scale of 6400-10640, who is not promoted to the next higher level shall be granted next higher scale of 7220-11320 with class-II Gazetted status and designation of Assistant Engineer.
• With the grant of Class-II Gazetted status and designation of Assistant Engineer, there will be no addition to the 'cadre strength' of Junior Engineers/Assistant Engineers. 
• The officials placed in the higher scale and the officials granted the status of Assistant Engineer as above will continue to discharge the same duties and exercise the same powers. 

                    Service rendered by an employee in the lower and higher pay scale granted as mentioned above shall be reckoned as service in the same post for this purpose.                       

                       After this Government of Punjab, Department of Finance(Finance Personnel-1 Branch) issued instructions regarding the grant of Assured Career Progression Scheme Benefit to the category of Junior Engineers after completion of 4,9 and 14 years of Service in the cadre by their letter No.5/138/2009-3FP1/444 Dated:26-03-2019. Actually, this letter is issued in reference to ACP Scheme instructions and the decision of Hon'ble Punjab and Haryana High Court in this regard.

                      Assured Career Progression Scheme was implemented on the recommendations of the 4th Punjab Pay Commission with effect from 1-1-96. This scheme is also known as the 8,16,24,32 years Scheme. On 27-06-2000 Punjab Government have decided to extend the benefit of "Career Progression" to Junior Engineers. Now after 8 years of service as Junior Engineer they were given a higher pay scale of 6400-10640 and after 16 years of service, they were given a higher scale of 7220-11320 with class II Gazetted Status and designation of Assistant Engineer. 

                        With effect from 01-11-2006 during 5th Punjab pay commission new ACP scheme made applicable to state government employees. In this scheme after completion of 4,9,14 years of service on the same post and in the same cadre, employees were granted a higher pay scale which is next in the hierarchy of pay scales. 

                        Scales of the post of Junior Engineer were re-revised with effect from 01-12-2011 by letter No.5/138/09-3FP1/881. Now entry scale changes to 10300-34800+4800 from 10300-34800+3800. A Junior Engineer with 10 years of regular Service designated as Assistant Engineer with a higher pay scale 15600-39100+5400. After 20 years of regular service higher pay scale of 15600-39100+6600 was granted and after 25 years of regular service, an additional increment at the rate of annual increment were granted. In this letter at serial number 5, it is written that the employees governed by these orders shall not be entitled to any benefit under any other Assured Career Progression Scheme issued by the Government. 

                    According to this recoveries have been made from those Junior engineers who have taken benefit under 4,9,14 ACP Scheme dated 03-11-06. Against this a civil writ petition titled CWP 16446 of 2010 Jaswinder Singh Bedi and others vs State of Punjab and others. The writ petition was allowed and the petitioners are held entitled to the benefits of the instructions dated 03-11-06. The Government in compliance with the orders of the Hon'ble court has decided to grant the benefit of 4,9,14 ACP vide its letter dated 20-11-2017. But the contradiction starts again with the letter because Government has decided that Junior Engineers will get the benefit of one scheme either the ACP scheme notified on 03-11-2006 or structural pay scales as per the letter dated 01-12-2011. 

                     Against these orders, another writ petition was filed that is CWP 28628 of 2017 titled as Gurinder Singh and others vs State of Punjab and others. The hon'ble court has disposed of the case on 23-01-2019 and the letter dated 20-11-2017 was kept in abeyance till the further decision taken by the Government. Now in compliance with this order Government issued this letter and decided that Junior Engineers will get the benefit of one scheme either the ACP scheme notified on 03-11-2006 or structural pay scales as per letter dated 01-12-2011. 

                    The Junior Engineers will give an option in this regard and their pay will be fixed according to that. If on re-fixation as per his option, an employee is drawing higher pay then their pay will be re-fixed, no recoveries will be effected and the higher pay will be treated as personal pay which will be absorbed in the future increments. The time to file an option is one month from issuing of this letter i.e one month from 26-03-2019.

                In the end, we hope this article will help you a lot. Please post your queries and suggestions in the comment box. 

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