With no new officers appointed since 2016 and the ageing of existing staff, the Defence Service Welfare Department (DDSW) in Punjab will have only two officers in addition to the director against the authorized strength of 25 posts to look after the welfare of former soldiers in the state by the end of the month. PUNJAB SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICERS (RECRUITMENT AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT) REGULATIONS, 1952 1. Short title and beginning: – (1) Therules of the SE may be called Punjab Welfare Officers (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 1952. (2) They shall enter into force at such time as the Land Government may determine on that behalf by publication in the Official Gazette. (3) Omitted 2. Definitions: – In the rules of the se, unless the context so requires: – (a) “Act” means the Factory Act 1948 (LXIII) 1946; (b) The terms “factory” and “occupier” have the meanings ascribed to them in the Act. Number of social agents: For factories with five hundred to two thousand workers, there should be a welfare agent. For every two thousand additional workers, or a fraction of more than five hundred, an additional social worker will be available. If thereis more than one welfare officer, one of the members is appointed Chief Welfare Officer. 3-A. Salary scales and remuneration of the welfare officer: – Social workers are entitled to the following salary scales: – Category 1. For factories with more than 2,000 workers. (i) Senior Social Welfare Officer: – Case 7880-220-8100-275-10300-340-11660 II) Social Welfare Officer: – Case 7000-220-8100-275-10300-340-10980 Category II.

For factories with 500 to 2,000 workers. Social Welfare Officer:- 7000-220-8100-275-10300-340-10980 Provided that: – (a) “Nothing in this article shall be construed as preventing the granting of salary scales higher than those specified above or affecting the remuneration of senior social welfare officials and social welfare officers who receive remuneration in excess of those specified above. set out above; and. (b) the above salaries exclude the dearly cost allowance and o the R allowances paid atthe rates as stated by government sources that the process of appointing new civil servants to the department is ongoing. The application for appointments, which began in 2020, is being processed and various modalities are being developed, as the number of approved positions in the department has recently increased. One of the officers retiring this month, Lt. Col. Col. PS Bajwa, moved the High Court from Punjab and Haryana, highlighting the staffing crisis in the department. He requested that he continue to serve until the age of 60 instead of 58 under the provisions of the Punjab Civil Service Regulations because he is a disabled soldier.

No.G.S.R.32/C.A.63/1948/Ss.49 and 112/Amd./ 2014.- The following draft Regulations further amending the Punjab Welfare Officers (Recruitment and Conditions of Employment) Regulations 1952, which the Governor of Punjab intends to submit in the exercise of the powers conferred by section 49 (2) in conjunction with section 112 of the Factories Act, The year 1948 (Central Law No. 53 of 1948) and all other powers enabling it to do so shall be published in accordance with article 115 of the said Law for the information of persons likely to be affected by it. The petition states that the Punjab Defence Service (Group A) Social Welfare Officers Rules 1986, as amended in October 2020, if they have served Deputy Directors or District Defence Service Social Welfare Officers for a period of less than nine years, become obsolete when they reach the age of 60. Of the three officers currently stationed in the department, two are stationed in Patiala and Ropar and one at the headquarters in Chandigarh. They are responsible for 23 districts of the state and work at headquarters.