Kerala: Why do max retirements in state govt take place in May?

Thiruvananthapuram, May 27 (IANS) Every year, one sees a large number of Kerala government staff retiring on May 31 and this year is no different as of the 20,719 staff who are to superannuate at the age of 56 in 2022, a record 10,207 will bow out on Tuesday.

Incidentally, Kerala is the only state where government employees retire at 56 years and there are around half a million of government staff in the state.

According to sources, the primary reason for the ‘May phenomenon’ is earlier, the official date of birth used to be the day a child was admitted to a school in the new academic year, which begins in June.

“When a child was admitted to the school, the date of birth was what the parents would say. No body would ask for official certificate of birth. Unlike today, most of the births used to take place at homes. Now, births take place in the hospital and are immediately registered with the local body which provides a birth certificate,” the source said.

All along, the date of birth was taken as what appeared in the Class X examination mark-sheet, but a birth certificate from the local body is a must during school admission.

Incidentally, all those who are retiring or nearing the superannuation or have already retired in the recent years have all their official date of birth as per school records.

“Since I was very naughty and a handful, I was admitted to school a year early. I was only four but my parents told the school that I was five years. In the bargain, I lost one productive year as even though I am 65 as per records, I am only 64,” said a businessman.

But with a large number of government staff retiring on May 31, the already cash-trapped state will ve over-burned as with over 10,000 government staff retiring, a staggering sum is required to pay of end of service benefits.

A college principal who retires in Kerala after close to three decades of service after commutation of pension, will get around Rs one crore as end of service benefits and not to mention a monthly pension of above Rs 60,000.

–IANS

sg/shb/