Record retirement: 16,638 state employees, including 800 police personnel, retire today

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: 16,638 employees of the state service, including 800 police personnel, will retire today. About half of them are teachers. A total of 22,000 people are retiring this year. This is the first time in the history of the state that so many people are retiring together in one month.

In the Education Department, 23 DEOs, 8 DDEs and two Regional Deputy Directors will retire. From KSEB, 1099 people will retire including eight Chief Engineers, 17 Deputy Chief Engineers and 33 Executive Engineers. Among those retiring from the police force are 15 SPs and 27 DySPs. MG Sabu, who was suspended the other day due to gangsterism, is also among the retiring DySPs.

A total of 87 officers, ranging from Inspectors to DySPs, will retire. Additionally, 48 people including additional secretaries will retire from PSC with 22 from PSC headquarters and 26 from district offices. In KSRTC, 674 people including drivers and conductors are retiring. Other departments will see the following retirements: Secretariat - 200, Local Self-Government - 300, Revenue - 461 and Food Public Distribution - 66.

A total of ₹9,151 crores is required to provide retirement benefits. Each person is to be paid between ₹14 lakhs to ₹1.25 crores as pension benefits. The government borrowed ₹3,500 crores yesterday to pay the benefits and this month's salary.