The Centre Public Works Department (CPWD) has recently given compulsory retirement to eight engineers and one architect for non performance, citing conduct of business rules and overall performance. The list includes Ashok Kumar Sharma, Superintending Engineer (SE), Adesh Kumar SE, Kumkum Vadhwa senior Architect, Rakesh Babu Garg, Executive Engineer (EE), Mallam Faneendranath EE, S Thirunavakarasu EE, M Karuna Nithi EE, Vijay Kumar Sharma EE and D Adipratap Kumar EE.

“The above mentioned officers have not yet been furnished to the Ministry. It is therefore requested that the same may be furnished to the Ministry urgently. It is also requested that all the ancillary action related to retirement may also be initiated at the earliest,” said an office memorandum issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) on dated July 6.

According to sources, an internal panel of the Ministry had recommended action for these officials after reviewing cases of a total 750 officials. “The officials were given compulsory retirement in the public interest,” said the sources.

The office memorandum said the undersigned is directed to refer to this Ministry's order of even number dated June 21 giving therein notice period of three months for the compulsory retirement under fundamental rules of CPWD manual.

“Where as the competent authority is of the opinion that it is in the public interest to do: Now therefore in exercise of the powers conferred by the fundamental rules (56), the President hereby gives notice to Ashok Kumar Sharma SE that he having already attained the age of 50 years shall retire from service on the forenoon of the day following the date of expiry of three months computed from the date following the date of service of this notice to him,” stated in one of the order issued by the ministry.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has taken action against over 450 officials in the last three years. 

According to Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) data, as many as 129 Government officers have been forced to retire in past few months in public interest for being non-performers. A total of 30 Group ( A)  officers and 99 Group (B ) officers (total 129) have been sent on retirement in past few months. 

The punishment of compulsory retirement was given after reviewing service records of over 24,000 Group( A) officers and 42,251 Group B officers. The centre is also looking   into the service records of another 34,451 Group A officers and 42,521 from Group B to check the non-performers.