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In Gujarat, 5 deputy collector cadre officials retired forcibly with 3 months’ pay
A government official said such a move of retirement of five officials of deputy collector rank is something unprecedented in Gujarat and it aims to emphasise performance as the top priority
Taking a cue from the corporate world, the Gujarat government on August 6 prematurely retired five deputy collector cadre officials who had attained the age of 50 years or more. All these officials were informed only on the afternoon of August 6 that Saturday was their last working day and that they would be relieved by 6 pm, said an official aware of the matter. They have been given three months’ salary as compensation along with other retirement benefits. The retired officials, included an official who had a departmental probe pending against him.
A notification issued by the revenue department on August 6 said that it has “in public interest prematurely retired five Gujarat Administrative Services (junior scale) officers of deputy collector cadre, with immediate effect of the afternoon of August 6 and they shall be paid a sum equivalent to the amount of pay and allowances for a period of three months calculated at the same rate at which they were supposed to be drawing immediately before the day of issuance of this notification”.
The officials who were prematurely retired includes B S Khokhariya, second special land acquisition officer, Ahmedabad collectorate, I V Desai, deputy district development officer, Surendranagar, N G Kumpavat, deputy district election officer, Amreli and J D Joshi, deputy director, Panchayati Raj Talim Kendra, Junagadh.
The fifth official R B Pakhawala, deputy collector of Gudkhar sanctuary in Kutch has a departmental probe pending against him and has been charge-sheeted by the department on April 8. The investigation will continue post his premature retirement, according to the notification.
“It is not a very common move. The review of employees is done at the age of 50 years and 55 years and the reasons for early retirement may include health ground and performance. In this case, they had all completed the age of fifty years and were not found suitable to continue. They will get three months’ salary in advance. The decision is similar to the corporate world where candidates are retired compulsorily on performance grounds,” said A K Rakesh, additional chief secretary (personnel), general administration department told Hindustan Times.
A government official said such a move of retirement of five officials of deputy collector rank is something unprecedented in Gujarat and it aims to emphasise performance as the top priority.
“The government wants to give a clear signal that those who do not perform can be shown the door,” the official said.
The government exercised the powers conferred by Rule-10 (4) of the Gujarat Civil Services Pension Rules, 2002 and in pursuance of various instructions issued by the government in this regard from time to time to the five officials. As per Rule-10 (4), an employee’s performance can be reviewed at the age of 50 years and 55 years and if the person is found unfit to continue further, he/she can be prematurely retired.
On July 28, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh informed the Rajya Sabha that as many as 395 non-performing and corrupt Central government officers were prematurely retired from service between July 2014 and June 2022.
“The government is vested with the absolute power to pre-maturely retire government servants in public interest by invoking the provisions of respective service rules/Fundamental Rule-56 (j),” the minister said in a written reply.
