(Image source from: dnaindia.com)

The Centre has asked all its departments to review the records of staff who have completed 30 years in the job.

Central government employees who have completed 30 years of experience in various departments will now be reviewed according to their performance and the inefficient employees will be sent to mandatory retirement.

The employees’ performance review will be carried out under the Fundamental Rule (FR) 56J and 56I and also under the rule 48I of the central civil services (pension) rules, 1972 that gives the absolute right to the appropriate authority to mandatorily retire a government servant if necessary to do in the public interest.

The rule also clarifies that premature retirement of government employees will not be considered a penalty when made by the concerned authority.

However, it is different from compulsory retirement which is also one of the prescribed penalties under the central civil service rules of 1956.

The government may at any time after a government servant has attained the age of 50 or 55 or upon reaching 30 years of service can retire him prematurely in public interest.

Instructions have also been issued by the centre to the authorities for undertaking periodic review of the performance of the government servants with a view to deciding if the employee should be retained or not.

This latest from the centre is designed to bring more clarity into the previously existing rules and instructions for uniform implementation.

According to the new rules, the service record of a group A and group B officer can be reviewed if he or she has attained the age of 50 years in case if the employee came into service before attaining 35 years or after attaining 55 years in case the employee joined service after attaining 35 years.

The appropriate authority has the right to retire an employee of grade C service or post who is not governed by any pension rules after he has completed 30 years of service by giving him a notice of not less than 3 months in writing or by offering 3 months’ pay and allowances.

The Personnel Ministry has also advised the authorities to maintain a register for conducting such reviews.

The register should be scrutinized at the beginning of every quarter by a senior officer in the ministry.

The Personnel Ministry has also advised setting up of a review committee and broad criteria to be followed while assessing the employees.

An employee would be eligible for premature retirement if there is a sudden steep in performance of efficiency of the government servant and would be eligible for this review.

His/her work performance could be measured by looking into files dealt by him or by looking at any papers or reports prepared and submitted by him/her.

By Gayatri Yellayi