Fundamental Rules (FR) & Pay Fixation – Andhra Pradesh Government Employees

The Fundamental Rules are the working foundation of almost every service and pay decision taken in an Andhra Pradesh Government office. Whenever an employee joins, is promoted, moves to another post, reverts, takes additional charge, is deputed outside Government or retires, the correct treatment has to be traced to a specific Fundamental Rule read with the Government Order applicable to that event.

This article is written for employees as well as for establishment and accounts personnel who prepare pay-fixation and service proceedings. It explains the rules in plain language, keeps the correct legal terminology, and highlights the checks that must be completed before a fixation is authorised.

The Fundamental Rules regulate the basic conditions of service of Government servants whose pay is drawn from the Consolidated Fund of the State. They deal with general conditions of service, pay and additions to pay, fixation of pay, increments, combination of appointments, suspension and removal, retirement-related provisions, joining time and leave-related matters, and foreign service.

• The rules apply subject to the specific scope, exclusions and adaptations prescribed for particular services, departments or establishments.
• Special rules, ad-hoc rules and recruitment rules of a service operate alongside the Fundamental Rules; where a special provision exists, it must be examined first.
• Employees of public sector undertakings, corporations, societies, universities and local bodies are governed by their own regulations, which may adopt the Fundamental Rules wholly, partly or with modifications. Applicability must be verified in each case.

3.1 FR 1–9 in practice

• These rules settle two preliminary questions in every case: whether the Fundamental Rules apply to the employee at all, and which defined expression governs the situation.
• Where a category of employees has been expressly excluded or brought under separate regulations, a fixation cannot be justified merely by citing a Fundamental Rule.
• The definitions in this Part are used throughout the later Parts, so a fixation note should use the defined expression rather than a loose description.

Lien is the employee’s title to hold a permanent post substantively. It matters in day-to-day work because several pay-fixation provisions apply only where the employee holds a lien, a suspended lien or a provisional lien on a permanent post outside a tenure post.

• Before applying a fixation clause, record clearly whether the employee holds a lien, a suspended lien, a provisional lien, or none at all.
• Suspension of lien, transfer of lien and revival of lien are rule-based events and require a competent order.
• Where an employee is selected for another Government post, examine the effect on lien, on past service and on any pay-protection claim under the applicable rule and Government Orders.
• An unresolved lien position is one of the most common reasons for later audit objections on pay fixation.

For service purposes, “pay” is a rule-defined concept and not a general description of what an employee receives. Fixation of pay must be made under the specific Fundamental Rule and Government Order applicable to the event that caused the fixation.

• The Andhra Pradesh Revised Scales of Pay Rules, 2022 were issued in G.O.Ms.No.1, Finance (PC-TA) Department, dated 17.01.2022, with effect from 01.07.2018.
• RPS-2022 supplies the applicable revised pay structure; the Fundamental Rules continue to govern the underlying service and pay-fixation event.
• RPS-specific pay tables are not reproduced here. When an actual fixation is made, the employee’s applicable RPS-2022 scale and basic pay must be used.
• An earlier Government Order is not to be treated as superseded merely because RPS-2022 was introduced. Where a provision depends on a later amendment, identify that amendment and its scope.

• First or initial appointment to a Government post.
• Promotion or appointment to a post carrying duties and responsibilities of greater importance.
• Appointment to another post that does not involve higher duties and responsibilities.
• Appointment to a lower post at the employee’s own request, where permitted.
• Direct recruitment or selection to another Government post, with a consequent pay-protection claim where the eligibility conditions are satisfied.
• Reversion from a higher post to a lower post.
• Appointment by transfer or movement outside the regular line, where the relevant rules provide for fixation or protection.
• Repatriation from foreign service or from another organisation.
• Fixation on grant of a benefit under the Automatic Advancement Scheme, governed by the scheme orders read with the applicable Fundamental Rules.
• Re-employment after retirement, subject to the rules governing pay on re-employment.

FR 19 and the provisions associated with it regulate the circumstances in which a Government servant may be appointed to or hold another post and the manner in which pay is governed in those situations, including pay on re-employment.

• The fixation depends on the nature of the appointment and on the specific rule or order that authorises it.
• A re-employment case must not be equated with a promotion case; the pay is regulated by the terms of re-employment and the rules applicable to it.
• The sanction or appointment order should state the provision under which pay is regulated, so that the drawing and disbursing officer can verify the claim.

FR 22 is the principal rule to be examined whenever a Government servant moves to another post. The rule is not a single formula: it contains distinct clauses, and the correct clause must be identified before any calculation is attempted.

• Applies where the appointment is in a substantive capacity to a post carrying duties and responsibilities of greater importance than those of the post already held.
• The employee must hold a lien, suspended lien or provisional lien on a permanent post that is not a tenure post, in terms of the rule.
• Where applicable, the fixation is worked out with reference to this clause read with FR 31, and the office proceedings should cite both provisions.
• The nature of the duties of the two posts, and not merely the difference in pay scales, decides whether the post carries greater responsibility.

• Applies where the new post does not involve duties and responsibilities of greater importance, even though the scale may appear different.
• Promotion-style fixation cannot be adopted in such a case simply because the employee has moved to another post.
• The comparison must be recorded in the file: designation, nature of duties, level of supervision and accountability of both posts.
• Where the department has issued a clarification on the relative responsibilities of the two posts, it should be placed on record.

• Applies where an employee is appointed, at his or her own request, to a post lower than the post held.
• The request should be voluntary, in writing, and accepted by the competent authority.
• Pay in the lower post is regulated by this clause and the conditions attached to it; a claim to continue drawing the earlier higher pay does not arise automatically.
• The effect on seniority, increment date and future promotion should be explained to the employee and recorded.

FR 22(a)(iv) deals with protection of pay in specified situations where an employee is appointed to another Government post through direct recruitment or selection. Pay protection is a distinct concept and must not be confused with promotion fixation.

• Applies where the employee does not hold a lien, suspended lien or provisional lien on a permanent post other than a tenure post.
• Fixation is regulated by the conditions specified in this provision, and not by the clauses of FR 22(a).
• Cases of temporary and officiating employees frequently fall under this provision, so the status of the employee on the date of the event must be verified from the Service Register.

FR 22-B is the provision most often applied in establishment work. It governs cases where a Government servant is promoted or appointed to a post carrying duties and responsibilities of greater importance than those attached to the post held.

16.1 When FR 22-B applies

• There must be a promotion or an appointment to another post, ordered by the competent authority.
• The new post must carry duties and responsibilities of greater importance than the post held. This is the essential test, and it has to be recorded, not assumed.
• The employee’s status and pay in the lower post on the relevant date must be verifiable from the Service Register and pay records.

16.2 The method of fixation

• First, arrive at notional pay by adding one increment in the scale of the lower post to the basic pay drawn in that post.
• Then fix pay in the time scale of the higher post at the stage next above that notional pay.
• If the notional pay coincides with a stage of the higher scale, or the higher scale has no stage above it, the fixation is regulated by the rule and the instructions applicable to that situation.
• Finally, determine the date of the next increment in the higher post under the applicable increment provisions.

16.3 Framework orders

• G.O.Ms.No.239, Finance & Planning (FW.FR.II) Department, dated 23.08.1983 introduced the promotion-fixation framework under FR 22-B.
• G.O.Ms.No.145, Finance (FR.II) Department, dated 19.05.2009 amended FR 22-B in relation to cases where the employee does not exercise the option within the prescribed period.

Where an option is applicable, the employee may choose whether pay in the higher post is to be fixed from the date of promotion, or from the date of accrual of the next increment in the lower post, subject to the rule and the orders in force. The choice can materially affect both the pay and the next increment date.

17.1 If the option is not exercised within one month

• The option must be submitted in writing within the prescribed period of one month.
• By the amendment made in G.O.Ms.No.145, Finance (FR.II) Department, dated 19.05.2009, where the employee does not submit the option within one month, the competent authority is required to fix the pay by the method that is most beneficial to the employee under the rules in force.
• The amendment operates prospectively, and cases already settled are not to be reopened on that ground.
• Even where the beneficial method is applied by default, the fixation proceedings should record that no option was received within the prescribed period and that the beneficial method was therefore adopted.

Example 1 – Promotion under FR 22-B

Example 2 – Direct recruitment and pay protection under FR 22(a)(iv)

An employee already in Government service is selected through a recruiting agency to another Government post and claims protection of the pay drawn in the earlier post.

1. Do not begin with a calculation. First test the case against the specific Government Order relied upon.
2. Verify the category of the employee, the earlier post and establishment, the method of selection, and the date of appointment against the scope of that order.
3. Verify whether the order contains conditions such as continuity of service, or a specified period during which appointments are covered.
4. Only if the employee falls squarely within the order should protection be worked out under FR 22(a)(iv); otherwise the case must be fixed under the clause that actually applies.

Example 3 – Appointment to a post not carrying higher responsibilities

An employee is appointed to another post whose scale appears different, but whose duties are not of greater importance than those of the post already held.

1. Record a comparison of the duties, responsibilities, supervision and accountability of both posts.
2. If the new post does not carry duties and responsibilities of greater importance, promotion fixation cannot be applied automatically.
3. The case has to be considered under FR 22(a)(ii) and the conditions attached to that clause.
4. State the reasoning in the fixation proceedings so that the basis of the clause chosen is available on record.

• FR 23 deals with the effect of a change in the post or in the scale of pay of a post, and the consequent treatment of the employee’s pay.
• Where a scale is changed, the employee’s position must be examined under the rule together with the Government instructions governing that change.
• The rule is also relevant where a post is upgraded, downgraded or redesignated without a change in the duties of the incumbent.
• RPS-specific fixation instructions issued with a pay revision are dealt with in the orders on that revision and are outside the scope of this article.

FR 26 contains the basic framework for earning increments in a time scale and for determining the periods that count for increment.

• Before authorising an increment, verify the date of appointment or promotion, the date of the last increment, qualifying service, the treatment of leave and absence, the treatment of any period of suspension, any order withholding an increment, and any special orders applicable.
• The date of the next increment is a consequential part of every pay fixation and must be recorded correctly in the Service Register.
• A fixation under FR 22-B can change both the date and the basis of future increments, so the option and the fixation proceedings should be cross-checked.
• Periods that do not count for increment must not be included merely because the employee continued on the establishment.

• FR 31 is read with the relevant appointment or promotion provision where the fixation is based on an increment or on the relationship between the old post and the new post.
• Where a scheme or order prescribes fixation under FR 22(a)(i) read with FR 31(2), that combination must be cited and followed.
• Every fixation proceeding should quote the applicable clause and the Government instructions rather than rely on a general formula.

• FR 35 deals with the pay of a Government servant who officiates in a post.
• The pay admissible depends on the conditions of the rule, the nature of the officiating arrangement and the orders of the competent authority.
• An officiating arrangement must not be treated as a substantive promotion, and it does not by itself create a lien on the higher post.
• The period of officiating service, and its effect on increment and seniority, should be recorded accurately.

The Government of Andhra Pradesh has issued specific orders extending pay protection in defined direct-recruitment situations. Each order has its own scope and conditions.

• Benefits under the Automatic Advancement Scheme are governed by separate Government Orders, which prescribe the eligibility, the grades and the manner of fixation.
• Where the scheme prescribes fixation under FR 22(a)(i) read with FR 31(2), that method must be followed.
• A promotion arising after a scheme benefit has already been drawn may attract a different fixation treatment, depending on the level of benefit already allowed and the orders in force.
• Detailed eligibility, service-length requirements and scale-related provisions of the scheme are dealt with in the separate Automatic Advancement Scheme article on this Hub and are not repeated here.

• The Fundamental Rules contain provisions governing combination of appointments and the pay and allowance implications of holding additional charge.
• Additional charge must be supported by an order of the competent authority, specifying the post and the period.
• Additional remuneration is not admissible merely because another post is vacant; admissibility depends on the nature of the arrangement and the conditions in the rules and orders.
• The period and nature of the additional charge should be recorded in the service and pay records.

• FR 109 to FR 130 deal with foreign service and service under local funds.
• In foreign service, pay is ordinarily borne by the foreign employer, and contributions towards pension and leave salary are regulated under the rules and the terms of transfer.
• Transfer to foreign service requires the approval of the competent authority and clearly stated terms and conditions.
• On reversion to Government service, the employee’s pay is regulated under the applicable Fundamental Rules read with the terms of the transfer.
• Service under a local fund establishment is subject to the relevant chapters of the rules and to the nature of the establishment concerned.

The age of superannuation of Andhra Pradesh State Government employees is governed by the Andhra Pradesh Public Employment (Regulation of Age of Superannuation) Act, 1984, as amended, and by the Government Orders issued under it.

• For employees covered by that Act as amended, the age of superannuation is 62 years.
• G.O.Ms.No.15, Finance (HR.IV-FR&LR) Department, dated 31.01.2022, read with the 2022 amendment to the Act, enhanced the age of superannuation from 60 years to 62 years with effect from 01.01.2022 for the State Government employees covered by the Act.
• Cir.Memo.No.1813129/FIN01-HR/212/2022-HR-IV, dated 23.09.2022 clarified the applicability of the enhanced age and stated that the benefit is confined to the categories covered by the Act; it does not automatically extend to every public sector undertaking, corporation, society or other institution.
• G.O.Ms.No.45, Finance (HR.IV-FR&LR) Department, dated 02.07.2026 accorded approval for enhancement from 60 years to 62 years for regular employees of specified public sector undertakings, corporations and societies included in Schedules IX and X of the A.P. Reorganisation Act, 2014, subject to the conditions of that order and to the necessary amendments to the relevant rules or by-laws.

• Open a separate file or note for every fixation case, with the appointment or promotion order as the first document.
• Record the event, the clause applied and the Government Order relied upon at the top of the fixation statement.
• Attach the option, where applicable, and the extract of the Service Register showing basic pay and increment date.
• Prepare the fixation statement showing each step of the calculation, so that it can be verified independently.
• Obtain the approval of the competent authority, issue the proceedings, and communicate a copy to the employee and to the drawing and disbursing officer.
• Post the fixation, the option and the next increment date in the Service Register, and attest the entries.

1. Identify the event: first appointment, promotion, appointment by transfer, direct recruitment, reversion, scheme benefit, foreign-service reversion or re-employment.
2. Identify the applicable Fundamental Rule and clause for that event.
3. Verify the employee’s substantive, officiating or temporary status, and the lien, suspended lien or provisional lien position.
4. Verify the particulars of the old post and the new post, including designation, scale and nature of duties.
5. Determine whether the new post carries duties and responsibilities of greater importance, and record the basis of that finding.
6. Check the applicable Government Order, including any later amendment governing the situation.
7. Verify the basic pay drawn immediately before the event and the correct date of the next increment.
8. Check whether an option is available, whether it was submitted in writing, and whether it was submitted within the prescribed period of one month.
9. Calculate the fixation step by step under the identified clause, using the employee’s applicable pay scale.
10. Determine the date of the next increment in the new post.
11. Record the proceedings, the option and the next increment date in the Service Register.
12. Obtain the approval of the competent authority and issue the fixation proceedings.

• Treating every promotion as a FR 22-B case without establishing that the post carries duties and responsibilities of greater importance.
• Allowing pay protection under FR 22(a)(iv) without verifying the specific Government Order and the eligibility conditions.
• Ignoring the employee’s lien position before selecting the fixation clause.
• Fixing pay without recording the option or without checking the one-month requirement under FR 22-B.
• Using obsolete pay-scale examples or historical fixation statements as the basis of a current fixation.
• Assuming that an officiating appointment is the same as a substantive promotion.
• Applying the 62-year age of superannuation to an institution or category of employees not covered by the governing Act or order.
• Failing to update the Service Register with the fixation, the option and the next increment date.
• Treating an earlier Government Order as superseded merely because a pay revision has since been issued.

• Fundamental Rules, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Finance Department.
• Andhra Pradesh Public Employment (Regulation of Age of Superannuation) Act, 1984, as amended.
• G.O.Ms.No.239, Finance & Planning (FW.FR.II) Department, dated 23.08.1983 – FR 22-B promotion-fixation framework.
• G.O.Ms.No.297, Finance & Planning (FW.FR.II) Department, dated 14.10.1996 – amendment to FR 22 relating to specified pay protection on appointment through selection.
• G.O.Ms.No.145, Finance (FR.II) Department, dated 19.05.2009 – amendment to FR 22-B relating to failure to exercise the option within one month.
• G.O.Ms.No.105, Finance (FR.II) Department, dated 02.06.2011 – specified pay protection for former local-body employees appointed through APPSC or DSC.
• G.O.Ms.No.45, Finance (FR.II) Department, dated 19.02.2014 – extension of the specified local-body pay-protection benefit.
• G.O.Ms.No.179, Finance (HR-II-FR) Department, dated 29.11.2018 – amendment relating to G.O.Ms.No.105.
• G.O.Ms.No.1, Finance (PC-TA) Department, dated 17.01.2022 – Andhra Pradesh Revised Scales of Pay Rules, 2022, with effect from 01.07.2018.
• G.O.Ms.No.15, Finance (HR.IV-FR&LR) Department, dated 31.01.2022 – enhancement of the age of superannuation from 60 to 62 years with effect from 01.01.2022, read with the 2022 amendment to the Act.
• Cir.Memo.No.1813129/FIN01-HR/212/2022-HR-IV, dated 23.09.2022 – clarification on applicability of the enhanced age of superannuation.
• G.O.Ms.No.45, Finance (HR.IV-FR&LR) Department, dated 02.07.2026 – enhancement for regular employees of specified public sector undertakings, corporations and societies in Schedules IX and X of the A.P. Reorganisation Act, 2014.