Around 22,400 employees have retired from service in Kerala in one go after the LDF government's decision to make March 31 the common retirement date, throwing up the challenges of fresh postings and payment of retirement benefits.

The step would entail payment of at least Rs 1,300 crore for pension and other benefits at a stretch to the employees who retired yesterday.

The government would also have to fill up senior posts in a short span to avoid a possible administrative stalemate.

While some employees could gain from introduction of common retirement date, others stand to lose many of their post-retirement benefits.

Till now employees could continue in service till the end of the month of their date of birth if it was not the first of the month. Only those whose date of birth was the first of any month had to retire the previous day.

Now that March 31 has become the common retirement date, all those who attained 55 years anytime during the financial year could continue in service till March 31, with the result that while some got almost an year's extension, others got a lesser period that affected promotions and benefits.

Employees organisations say at least 2,000 persons would suffer in terms of monetary benefits and some even lose 11 months salary, which itself would come to around Rs 2.5 lakh.

One of the major concerns remains that 93 senior posts need to be filled up from the level of Joint Secretary, for which many lower grade employees would have to be given 'double promotions. This could lead to inexperienced hands occupying higher posts.