PANAJI
What Javdekar did not howeverreveal is the stick the Centre plans to use against bureaucrats through anubiquitous provision of the Central Civil Service (CCS) rules that gives the Uniongovernment sweeping powers albeit in undefined 'public interest' to prematurelyretire officials from service.
The missive was issued exactlya week ago in the form of an "Office Memorandum" by the Ministry ofPersonnel and Public Grievances directly handled by Prime Minister NarendraModi and the PMO.
It draws attention to periodicreview of Central government employees, including the various cadres, under theFundamental Rule (FR) 560)1(l) and Rule 48 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972.
It quotes: "The AppropriateAuthority has the absolute right to retire a Government servant under FR 56(j), FR56(l) or Rule 48 (1) (b) of CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 as the case may be, if itis necessary to do so in public interest."
The 'office memorandum' hasbeen issued by Under Secretary (Personnel) Surya Narayan Jha on August 28 andmarked to all Central ministries.
Jha's memo directs maintenanceof registers of government servantsregister of the Governmentservants who are due to attain the age of 50/55 years or to complete 30 yearsof service."At the beginning ofevery quarter the register has to be reviewed by a senior officer in the Ministry/ Department / Cadre so as to ensure timely completion of the review for retention/pre-matureretirement of the Government servants," Jha's office memorandum states.
Top bureaucrats in the State,including those from the elite IAS cadre, were tight-lipped over the officememorandum and admitted that it could be misused by the political dispensationin power to rid the bureaucracy of "unfriendly" officers.
None however was willing tospeak on record and Chief Secretary Parimal Rai did not entertain calls.Jha's office memo per-se isdirected at Central governmentemployees, including the civil services cadres but the policy could potentiallybe seized by State governments, particularly those of the BJP or allied withit.
Goa's is one such governmentwhose political executive has a penchant for creating vacancies and satiatingtheir hunger to dole out jobs for votes or political support.
A section of the State's civilservice officers and other government servants in the know of the PersonnelMinistry's circular are seeminglyrattled but are declining to speak up on the record for fear of retribution.
