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Perform or perish: Adityanath government to sack, retire non-performing staff
Senior Uttar Pradesh officials are reviewing the performance of the employees above the age of 50 and those rated inefficient will be forced to retire.
Pushing for efficiency, the Uttar Pradesh government is reviewing the performance of its employees and will retire or even sack those found wanting, a move that has caused a flutter among the 1.7-million strong workforce.
In an order issued Thursday, chief secretary Rajiv Kumar asked all additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries and secretaries to screen the performance of staff who are 50 and above and submit a list by July-end.
“Those whose performance is not up to the mark would be considered for compulsorily retirement as per the government rules,” says the order issued after chief minister Yogi Adityanath called for strict adherence to the compulsory retirement rule.
The three-month-old Adityanath government dusted the service rulebook to weed out the underperformers under a provision first proposed in 1985 but rarely used.
Timely disposal of work, punctuality and public image are some of the criteria the staff would be measured against. Based on the ratings, department heads would recommend names for compulsory retirement or termination.
“Mere transfers are not enough to spruce up the government machinery, which has become rusted and needs to be greased and geared up for delivery of important projects and schemes,” an official said on condition of anonymity.
The service handbook says a government employee above the age of 50 can be retired compulsorily after a three-month notice or salary in public interest.
The BJP swept to power in India’s most populous state on the promise of clean and efficient administration and an improved law and order situation.
The deadline for implementing the scheme was June 30 but as there has been a bureaucratic reshuffle, officers have been given more time to complete the screening, an official said.
“I am sure half of the work force will lose their jobs -- the way government employees take their jobs for granted,” SS Mishra, an office-bearer of the UP government joint employees council, told HT on Thursday.
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