Departments must first consider employees in surplus pool before seeking permission to fill vacant posts through new appointments
LAHORE: The Punjab government has tightened recruitment procedures across government institutions by making prior approval from the Personal Wing of the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) mandatory before departments can make fresh appointments, 24NewsHD TV reported Thursday.
Under the new instructions, government departments must submit their recruitment plans to the Personal Wing before beginning the hiring process against any vacant position.
Moreover, the requirement will apply not only to administrative departments but also to subordinate institutions and autonomous bodies operating under the provincial government.
The government has introduced the measure as employees belonging to different cadres remain available in the provincial surplus pool.
Surplus Employees to Receive Priority for Vacancies
Under the revised procedure, departments must first determine whether they can fill vacant positions by adjusting existing government employees currently placed in the surplus pool.
Authorities will examine whether an employee from the relevant cadre possesses the necessary qualifications and can be accommodated against an available vacancy.
Consequently, departments cannot immediately proceed with fresh recruitment simply because an approved position remains vacant.
Instead, officials must consider eligible surplus employees before requesting permission from S&GAD to advertise or fill the position through a new appointment.
The government expects the procedure to improve workforce management while providing placement opportunities for employees already available within the provincial system.
Administrative Secretaries Ordered to Ensure Compliance
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has directed all administrative secretaries to implement the new recruitment instructions fully across their respective departments and attached institutions.
Officials must ensure that departments complete the required scrutiny of surplus employees before forwarding proposals for fresh hiring.
Furthermore, authorities have circulated copies of the instructions to relevant provincial institutions to ensure uniform implementation.
The Chairman of the Punjab Public Service Commission has also received the instructions for information and necessary action.
The new policy effectively introduces an additional approval stage for provincial recruitment while making the adjustment of surplus government employees the first option whenever departments seek to fill existing vacancies.
