Punjab: Career progression scheme notified, doctors withdraw agitation
Punjab: With the state government today issuing a notification for restoration of Assured Career Progression Scheme (ACP) for government doctors, the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) has withdrawn its call for agitation that was to resume from January 23. “The finance department has agreed to grant revised ACP to medical officers,” said a letter issued by the government on January 20. The scheme will come into effect from January 1, 2025. The scheme will be applicable to all officers appointed before July 17, 2020, who are drawing pay scales as per the Punjab Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules, 2021. All other terms and conditions applicable before July 1, 2021 under the previous ACP scheme for these medical officers will also apply under the new scheme.
According to details of the scheme released today, the entry pay scale at level-18 will be Rs 56,100. Five years of service will put them at Level-21 with a pay of Rs 67,400, while 10 years of service will put them at Level-23 with a pay of Rs 83,600. After 15 years of service, medical officers will move to Level-27 with a pay of Rs 1,22,800. As the pay matrix and pay levels under the Seventh Central Pay Commission and Sixth Punjab Pay Commission are different, the scheme will be decided separately for medical officers recruited on or after July 17, 2020. PCMSA president Dr Akhil Sareen said in a statement that the restoration of ACP will go a long way in retaining doctors in the department and eventually strengthening the public healthcare system in the state. The association lauded the efforts of the health department in recruiting 304 medical officers and rationalising the policy to attract young doctors to the PCMS cadre.
