Raipur. The Chhattisgarh government has taken a significant step toward making the state’s administrative system more transparent and accountable. The General Administration Department (GAD) has issued new guidelines regarding the Annual Performance Appraisal Reports (APAR) for all state government employees, excluding All India Service officers. Under these guidelines, the annual evaluation of officers and employees must now be conducted via a digital platform. Furthermore, matters related to promotions, career advancements, and pay-scale upgrades must be resolved within a prescribed timeframe.
The primary objective of this new system is to streamline employee service records and ensure transparency in the evaluation process. Previously, delays in promotions and pay-scale adjustments often occurred because APARs were not prepared on time, files went missing, or records were unavailable. To address these issues, the government has decided to adopt a digital system. The department has directed all Heads of Departments, Divisional Commissioners, and District Collectors to strictly adhere to these instructions.
Annual Reports to be prepared on the SPARROW portal
According to the GAD’s directives, the use of the SPARROW portal—developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC)—is now mandatory for the preparation and submission of APARs for government employees. Additionally, reports must be prepared using new formats prescribed by the General Administration Department, replacing the old forms. Separate formats have been designated for Class I, Class II, and executive-level Class III officers.
Officers held accountable for missing APARs
The government has also established the procedure and accountability for cases where an APAR is unavailable, necessitating the issuance of a ‘Non-Availability Certificate’ (NAC). In such instances, the Secretary of the administrative department or the relevant Head of Office is held personally responsible. According to the guidelines, once an official NAC or certificate has been issued, any subsequent representation submitted by the government employee regarding the same matter will not be entertained. Promotions will not be stalled due to missing APARs
A special arrangement has been introduced to address the issue of missing Annual Performance Appraisal Reports (APARs) in cases involving promotions, career advancements, and the granting of time-bound pay scales. When presenting such cases before the relevant committees or screening committees, the competent authority must include a prescribed certificate in the file, accounting for the period(s) for which the APAR is unavailable. This measure ensures that employees do not face unnecessary delays in their promotions or pay-scale adjustments solely due to the absence of an APAR.
Clear guidelines for dismissed and reinstated employees
The new guidelines also include provisions regarding the APARs of government servants who have been dismissed and subsequently reinstated. Under these rules, no Annual Performance Appraisal Report shall be prepared for the period during which an employee remained dismissed. However, if an appraisal report is required following an employee’s reinstatement, their performance from preceding years may be reviewed.
