Adityanath govt to force ‘non-performing’ officials aged above 50 to retire

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government is set to review the performance of its employees who are over 50 years of age and recommend compulsory retirement of those who are not up to the mark.

According to an order issued by chief secretary Rajive Kumar, additional chief secretaries, chief secretaries and secretaries of all departments have been asked to review the performance of the staff till July 31.

The date for determining the age of 50 years has been fixed for March 31.

The directive cites the finance handbook rules which states that the appointing authority, at any given time, can retire the staff without giving any reason by a three months’ notice and government orders issued in this connection from time to time.

A government spokesperson said there was nothing new in the order as there was already a provision for reviewing the performance of all staff who crossed 50 years.

The three-month-old Adityanath government has dusted the service rulebook to weed out the underperformers under a provision first proposed in 1985 but rarely used.

The spokesperson said some departments were not carrying out this exercise on a regular basis and the order was aimed at ensuring it. The departmental heads have been asked to give to the personnel department the list of those who are to be given compulsory retirement, he said.

Pushing for efficiency, the Uttar Pradesh government has taken the step to ensure expertise and proper work ethics among government staff, an official said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to power in the country’s most populous state earlier this year on the promise of clean and efficient administration and an improved law-and-order situation.

“A vibrant bureaucracy is the need of the hour for the state. After the BJP came to power, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has created an atmosphere of confidence among the public by deploying competent and honest bureaucrats in important positions. This belief has created an atmosphere of development in the state,” a senior BJP leader said.