In a remarkable departure from convention, the hallowed halls of government offices in Bihar have forsaken their customary respite on Saturdays and even, intriguingly, on Sundays, coinciding with the commencement of the sacred Navaratri. This unusual shift in operational routine is borne of a palpable urgency, as the state administration embarks on a herculean endeavor to expedite the long-overdue promotion of its dedicated workforce.
Traditionally, the State Secretariat remains veiled in silence every Saturday, while district and block offices maintain their diligent labor. The subsequent day, Sunday, has always been celebrated as a universal day of rest. However, the winds of change are sweeping across Bihar, with a notification from the General Administration Department firmly declaring that this weekend, and indeed several more, will be business as usual, encompassing the 15th, 16th, 17th, 24th, and 27th of October.
This seismic shift in work culture follows the green signal from the state cabinet, which has endorsed the momentous proposal to bestow promotions and commensurate remunerations upon the deserving employees and officers. A labyrinthine task of filling a staggering 76,595 vacant posts across various cadres through promotions, the likes of which has remained dormant for a protracted four-year period, is now underway. Notably, these promotions are administered under a provisional framework, as a pertinent legal matter remains under adjudication at the zenith of India’s judiciary, the Supreme Court.
Tasked with the herculean duty of overseeing this process, department-specific five-member screening committees have been constituted. Each of these committees is spearheaded by a top-ranking departmental bureaucrat, typically holding the rank of Additional Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary, or Secretary. The remaining quartet includes a representative from the Finance Department, a nominee from the General Administration Department, an officer from the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe category, and a representative from the minority section. It is only upon their approval that eligible employees and officers will ascend the ladder of promotion, an undertaking set to conclude within the next two months.
The wheels of change are in motion, propelling Bihar’s government workforce toward a long-awaited transformation, as the traditional weekend hiatus makes way for an era of fervent productivity.
