List public servants who need to be retired prematurely in public interest: DoPT to Mins, Depts
The Centre is all set to weed out inefficient public servants in a big way with the Department of Personnel and Training issuing an office memorandum asking all Ministries/Departments to furnish a list of such employees who need to be retired prematurely in public interest.
The DoPT has asked all the Ministries and Departments to furnish a list of all such employees in a prescribed format by 15th of every month beginning July 15. The periodic review of the performance of employees who have attained 50 years of age will be undertaken under Fundamental Rule 56(j) and Rule 48 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972, for premature/compulsory retirement of inefficient employees.
Recently the Government had compulsorily retired 12 officials of direct taxes and 15 from the indirect taxes department.
"All Ministries and Departments are requested to undertake the periodic reviews in letter and spirit, including in public sector undertakings (PSUs/banks and autonomous institutions) under their administrative control. Department of Public Enterprises will also compile and countercheck with all Ministries/Departments concerned," reads the Office Memo (OM) issued on June 20.
The OM titled "Strengthening of administration — Periodic review of Central Government Employees under Fundamental Rule 56 (j)…" also directed the Ministries to ensure that the prescribed procedure like forming of opinion to retire a Government employee prematurely in public interest is strictly adhered to, and that the decision is not an arbitrary one, and is not based on collateral grounds.
The format of the submission of the reports for premature retirement will include group-wise (Group A, B and C) number of employees to be reviewed under Rule 56(j), number of employees reviewed under the section for premature retirement in public interest, number of employees reviewed and against whom FR 56(J) invoked/recommended group-wise (A/B/C) and number of employees retired prematurely under FR 56(j).
The copy of the circular has been marked to the Secretaries of all Ministries/ Departments as also to the President's Secretariat, Vice President Secretariat, PMO, Cabinet Secretariat, CAG, Secretary of UPSC and CVOs of all Ministries/Departments among others.
The move to weed out inefficient babus on a continuous basis is expected to energise the administrative machinery provided the checks provided by the Supreme Court in the case titled Union of India vs Col JN Sinha are strictly followed by prematurely retiring the Government employees, sources added.