NEW DELHI: Cracking down on non-performers and corruption, PM Narendra Modi has asked Union secretaries to carry out a rigorous assessment of performance of employees as per rules, which give absolute right to the government to retire any staffer in the “public interest”.
Sources said in an interaction with all central ministers and secretaries on Wednesday, a day after the J&K and Haryana assembly poll results were declared, the PM referred to Fundamental Rule 56(j) of the CCS (Pension) Rules, which specify that the “appropriate authority” can retire any government servant if it is of the opinion that he/she is unfit for retention in service. The government needs to give three-month notice or three months of pay and allowances in case of compulsory retirement.
Employees attaining 55 years of age can be impacted by this rule. Similarly, Rule 48 specifies that at any time after a government servant has completed 30 years of qualifying service, “he may be required by the appointing authority to retire in public interest”. Such officers get an opportunity to respond and can also challenge the order in court.
Government departments have so far compulsorily retired over 500 officers invoking these rules.
“The PM’s message was clear that government employees need to perform, address people’s issues and ensure ease of living. Though departments are taking action against deadwoods, there is a need to do more,” said a source.
Officials said there is a need to tweak the current regime as the present screening system is based on benchmarks and not on ranking of employees. Almost all employees get above benchmark annual ratings by their seniors, and they pass the yardsticks for promotion.
Addressing the ministers and secretaries, Modi said good governance and development works get rewarded by people, a reference to BJP’s hat-trick in Haryana and a good show in J&K, sources said.
The PM asked top officials and ministers to ensure public grievances are comprehensively and expeditiously addressed, rather than files being pushed from one desk to another. He also asked secretaries to spare a day every week to address grievances, and ministers of state to monitor them.
Sources said Modi mentioned how the PMO received 4.5 crore letters, including grievances from people, in the last 10 years, compared to only 5 lakh such letters received during Manmohan Singh’s last 5 years in office, underlining how people are more hopeful of redressal of complaints.
Modi pointed out that while around 40 per cent of these were related to central government departments and agencies, the remaining 60 per cent were related to state government issues.
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