New Delhi: The Centre has asked all its departments to review service records of employees who have completed 30 years in job to identify inefficient or corrupt staff and retire them prematurely in public interest, according to a Personnel Ministry order.
The employees' performance review is conducted under the Fundamental Rule (FR) 56 (J) and 56 (I), and also under Rule 48 (1) (b) of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, that gives "absolute right" to the appropriate authority to retire a government servant, "if it is necessary to do so in public interest".
It is clarified that premature retirement of government servants under these rules is not a penalty. It is distinct from 'compulsory retirement', which is one of prescribed penalties under Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965," said the order issued on Friday.
The government may, at any time after a government servant has attained the age of 50/55 years or completed 30 years of service, as the case may be, retire him/her prematurely in public interest, it said.
Instructions have been issued from time to time for undertaking periodic review of performance of government servants with a view to ascertain whether they should be retained in service or retired prematurely, the ministry said.
The latest order has been issued in order to bring in better clarity to the existing instructions and enable uniform implementation, it said.
An effort has been made to review, consolidate and reiterate the guidelines so far issued on the subject at one place, the ministry said in the order issued to the secretaries of all Central government departments.
Giving details on applicability of FR 56 (J), the order said the service record of a group A and B category officer can be reviewed if he/she has attained the age of 50 years (in case of joining service before 35 years of age) or after attaining 55 years (in case of joining service after 35 years of age).
Under FR 56 (I), the appropriate authority has the absolute right to retire a government servant in Group C service or post who is not governed by any pension rules, after he has completed 30 years' service by giving him/her notice of not less than three months in writing or three months' pay and allowances in lieu of such notice, it said.
For employees covered under Rule 48 (1) (b) of CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972, it said the review can be done at any time after a government servant has completed 30 years' qualifying service.