Month after new rules, J-K govt prematurely retires first employee

The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to prematurely retire an employee, the first such case in the newly formed union territory, over a month after framing new rules to fire state employees after he/she has completed 22 years of qualifying service or attained 48 years of age.

The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) has issued a notice to one of its Class-IV employees Fayaz Ahmad Siraj to retire from service as he has completed his 27 years of service on October 14.

Chairperson of the JKBOSE Veena Pandita, while issuing the order on November 27, has stated that it was in the “public interest” to do so.

“Now, therefore in exercise of the power conferred by Article 226(2) of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Service Regulation, the Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education hereby gives notice to Fayaz Ahmad Siraj, orderly that he having already completed 27 years’ service on 14-10-2020 shall retiree from service with effect from forenoon of 1st December, 2020,” wrote Pandita.

HT attempted to contact Pandita to know the specific reasons for which they decided to retire the employee but she did not respond to multiple calls and text messages.

Siraj has been allowed three months’ pay and allowance in lieu of three months’ notice.

In the last week of October, the government of Jammu and Kashmir had brought some changes in the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Service Regulations.

It decided that the government can in public interest retire any public servant after he has completed 22 years of qualifying service or attained 48 years of age. The exception to this rule is the employee working on a post which is included in Schedule II of these rules.

The authorities shall have to give notice to the government servant at least three months before the date on which he is required to retire or three months of pay and allowance in lieu of such notice.

The government had said that the broad criteria to be followed by the Review Committee, while making the recommendations for such retirement are doubtful integrity of the government servant or if he/she is found to be ineffective in his/her work.

The government was criticized when the new rules were framed with many saying that they were aimed at hounding employees.