Dakpad- An Unbiased Information

Hiring of Retainers (Law Officers)

1.0 I am directed to invite your attention on the subject cited above and to say that in some Departments of State Government, huge litigation is pending in the Lower Court, High Court and Supreme Court of India. In some Departments, the posts of Law Officers as well as Legal Assistants are not at the sanctioned strength. In the absence of Legal Personnel, such Departments are being faced embarrassing situation in number of cases due to non-filing of reply. Also, almost in all cases there are huge financial implications. Where large number of Court cases are pending and the concerned Department did not have any Law Officer at the sanctioned strength.

2.0 The State Government has been considering to formulate a policy for hiring Legal Retainers in such Departments. In view of this, the Governor of Punjab is pleased to accord its approval for formulate a policy regarding hiring Legal Retainer in such Departments subject to the following conditions namely:-

(1) The Legal Retainer may be hired on fixed monthly remuneration of Rs. 35,000/- or Rs. 6,000/- per case. In case, the Legal Retainer is hired on case to case basis, it shall be ensured that his/her monthly remuneration should not exceed Rs. 35,000/-

(11) Where in an average 10 fresh Court cases are received, one Legal Retainer may be engaged. More Legal Retainers may be hired in such proportion of cases.

(III) The minimum qualifications for Legal Retainer shall be as the candidate should have a Bachelor Degree of Law from a recognized university and should be a practicing lawyer in Civil/District Court of Punjab and Haryana High Court having valid license from the concerned Bar Council.

(IV) It shall be the responsibility of the In-charge of concened Branch/Section of the Department to provide all relevant records to the Legal Retainer. The concerned Branch or In-charge Officer, as the case may be. shall provide assistance, previous stand taken by the Department in similar matters, decisions, if any, in similarly placed matters. The Legal Retainer shall prepare reply of the allotted case within a period of one week from the date of marking of the case.

(V) After receipt of entire record from the departmental Officer, the Legal Retainer shall prepare draft reply of the allotted case and shall hand over to the Officer/official who allotted him such case. It will be the duty and responsibility of the concerned officer/official to get the same vetted from the Legal Cell/Office of the Advocate General or the concerned District Attorney and to file it in the Hon'ble Court well in time.

(VI) After the acceptance and vetting of reply prepared by the Legal Retainer, the Legal Retainer shall submit his Bill(s) in the last week of month to the Officer who have marked case to him, which shall be processed and due and admissible payment shall be made in the Legal Retainer in the first week of following month.

(VII) The expenditure shall be met out of funds allotted to the Department in the Head of Account of Office Expenses or any other Head of Account where funds are available with the Department(s).

The aforesaid policy may be brought to the notice of all concerned .......................

Finance Pension Policy Co-ordination Branch, Department of Finance, Government of Punjab

FD-FPPCOMISC/435/2025-4FPPC/102 Dated 02-06-2025

OPS to the Employees of Government, Boards, Corporations and Autonomous Bodies

In reference to the subject cited above, please find enclosed herewith the E-Gazette's Notification bearing No.G.S.R.34/Const./Arts.309 and 187/Amd.(11)/2025 dated 22.05.2025 for information and further necessary action.

(Saroj)

Under Secretary Finance

A copy of the E-Gazette's Notification bearing No. G.S.R.34/Const./Arts. 309 and 187/Amd.(11)/2025 dated 22.05.2025 is forwarded to Director, Public Enterprises and Disinvestment, Punjab to issue the necessary instructions regarding the benefit of Old Pension Scheme to the such employees of the Boards, Corporations and Autonomous bodies will be decided by the concerned organization subject to the provision made in the bylaws, service rules and their own respective financial health to bear the additional financial impact from its own resources and under no circumstances, the additional financial burden on this account in any such organization shall be borne by the State Government.

Under Secretary Finance

Finance Pension Policy and Coordination Branch, Department of Finance, Government of Punjab

FD-FPPCOCMPS/41/2020-2FPPC/I/1112977/2025 Dated 28-05-2025

Punjab Civil Services (Amendment) Rules, Volume-I, Part-I, 2025

GOVERNMENT OF PUNJAB

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE

(FINANCE PENSION POLICY AND COORDINATION)

NOTIFICATION

The 22nd May, 2025

No.G.S.R.34/Const./Arts. 309 and 187/Amd.(11)/2025.- In exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to article 309 read with clause (3) of article 187 of the Constitution of India, and all other powers enabling him in this behalf, the Governor of Punjab, after consultation with the Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, in so far as such consultation is necessary under the aforesaid provisions, is pleased to make the following rules further to amend the Punjab Civil Services Rules, Volume-I, Part-I, namely:-

RULES

1. (1) These rules may be called the Punjab Civil Services (Amendment) Rules, Volume-I, Part-I, 2025.

(2) They shall come into force at once.

2. In the Punjab Civil Services Rules, Volume-I, Part-I, in rule 1.2, in sub–rule (1), after the existing proviso, the following provisos shall be added, namely:-

“Provided further that the rules in Part 1- Pensions and Part II Provident Fund contained in Volume-II of these rules called the Punjab Civil Services Rules, Volume-II, shall also apply to the Government employees who are appointed to the posts mentioned in categories (1) to (5) above on or after the 1st January, 2004, but whose posts or vacancies were advertised for recruitment before 1st January, 2004.

Provided further that the rules in Part 1- Pensions and Part II-Provident Fund contained in volume-II of these rules called the Punjab Civil Service Rules, Volume-II, shall also apply to the Government employees who have been appointed on compassionate grounds on or after 1st January, 2004 but where the request by the legal heir for appointment was received before 1st January, 2004 and the concerned legal heir had fulfilled the eligibility criteria i.e. age; education qualification; or any other requirement required for that post before 1st January, 2004.

Provided further that such employees recruited on or after 1st January, 2004, shall have an option either to opt for the Old Pension Scheme or New Defined Contributory Pension Scheme. In case the employee dose not exercise the option within three months from the date of publication of the Punjab Civil Services (Amendment) Rules, Volume-I, Part-1, 2025, such employee shall be deemed to have opted for the New Defined Contributory Pension Scheme.

Finance Pension Policy and Coordination, Department of Finance, Government of Punjab

No.G.S.R.34/Const./Arts. 309 and 187/Amd.(11)/2025 Dated 22-05-2025