Haryana Govt announces one-time common cadre option for Group-D employees
Online portal to remain open from July 6 to July 20; employees failing to exercise option will continue under Common Cadre
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, July 1, 2026: The Haryana Government has decided to offer a one-time option to Group-D employees recruited under Advertisement No. 04/2018 to choose whether they wish to continue under the Common Cadre framework or opt out and be governed by the service rules of their respective departments.
According to official instructions issued by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, an OTP-based online portal will remain open from July 6 to July 20, 2026, allowing eligible employees to submit their preference using their registered mobile numbers linked with the Human Resource Management System (HRMS).
The directions have been issued to all Administrative Secretaries, Heads of Departments, Divisional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners across the state to ensure the smooth implementation of the exercise.
The government clarified that the Haryana Group-D Employees (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Act, 2018, notified on March 28, 2018, and amended on March 31, 2020, applies retrospectively to all Group-D employees appointed on or after March 28, 2018.
Employees opting to remain under the Common Cadre will continue to be governed by the provisions of the 2018 Act. Those choosing to opt out will instead be governed by the service rules applicable to their respective departments.
The state government has directed all Heads of Departments to ensure that eligible employees recruited under Advertisement No. 04/2018 exercise their option within the stipulated period.
It has also clarified that employees who do not submit their preference between July 6 and July 20 will be deemed to have chosen to remain under the Common Cadre system.