CRACKING THE WHIP, PWD SACKS 22 ENGINEERS

CRACKING WHIP Action taken day before end of Yogi’s deadline for reports on employees’ performance

LUCKNOW: The public works department sacked 22 engineers on charges of corruption, embezzlement and dereliction of duty on Monday. The action was taken a day before the deadline set by the Uttar Pradesh government to review the performance of its employees comes to an end. Pushing for efficiency, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has sought reports from 94 government departments on the performance of its employees by October 31. The government has made it clear that it will compulsorily retire or even sack those above 50 years and found wanting. The move has caused a flutter among the 1.7-million strong workforce of the UP government.

LUCKNOW: The public works department sacked 22 engineers on charges of corruption, embezzlement and dereliction of duty on Monday.

The action was taken a day before the deadline set by the Uttar Pradesh government to review the performance of its employees comes to an end.

Pushing for efficiency, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has sought reports from 94 government departments on the performance of its employees by October 31.

The government has made it clear that it will compulsorily retire or even sack those above 50 years and found wanting. The move has caused a flutter among the 1.7-million strong workforce of the UP government.

“Our intention is not to harass employees or create panic. We have simply proceeded against those who were either absconding from duty, accused of embezzlement or against whom departmental proceedings had been pending for a long time,” said principal secretary, PWD, Sadakant when contacted by HT.

Of the 22 engineers whose services have been terminated 16 are junior engineers and six assistant and executive engineers.

Sadakant said the department had a water-tight case against these erring engineers and all departmental and legal procedures like show cause notices and reasonable time to reply had been complied with to ensure that they do not get relief

from courts. In June, the UP government had dusted the service rulebook to weed out the underperformers under a provision first proposed in 1985 but rarely used.

The service handbook says a government employee above the age of 50 can be retired compulsorily after a three-month notice or salary in the public interest. The directive to departmental heads was clear:

Those whose performance was not up to the mark would be considered for compulsory retirement and officers were asked to ensure strict compliance of the order.

Timely disposal of work, punctuality and public image were some of the criteria the staff would be measured against. Based on the ratings, the department heads would recommend names for compulsory retirement or termination.

“All actions would be taken on merit and there would be no witch-hunt or harassment. We had asked departments to form their respective screening committees to identify employees who were above 50 and not performing. How many departments comply with the deadline would only be known on Tuesday,” said a senior government official requesting anonymity.

Since July, the UP government has extended the last date for submission of reports by departments thrice. But there would be no further relaxation, according to sources.

He said compulsory retirement was mooted after it was found that mere transfer of officials was not enough to spruce up the government machinery and gear it up for delivery of important projects and schemes. Employees’ unions had termed the order draconian and threatened to take to streets if it was implemented.

“We had given a memorandum to the state government and made it clear that any such action will be opposed tooth and nail. We are waiting and watching for them (state government) to make the first move,” said SS Mishra of the UP government joint employees’ council.

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Actions will be taken on merit. There will be no witchhunt or harassment. We had asked the depts to form screening committees to identify staff who were above 50 and not performing. A SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL