BANGALORE: Even before the BBMP Council gives its nod to the government order related to appointment of family members of the officials who retire voluntarily on health grounds, the applications of the officials who are ‘planning to retire’ are already piling up at the BBMP office.
The state government amended the Karnataka Civil Services (Appointment on Compassionate Grounds) Rules, 1996, and issued the notification - Karnataka Civil Services (Appointment on Compassionate Grounds) (Sixth amendment) Rules, 2011, - on October 13, 2011. According to the amended rule, jobs can be given to the children or spouse of the official who retires on health grounds voluntarily, on compassionate grounds.
Meanwhile, the officials of various government departments working in BBMP who are nearing 60 years, are planning to apply for voluntary retirement.
Sources said that though these officials are healthy, they are seeking the Health Officer’s help to issue the certificates about their ‘inability to continue in their positions due to health reasons’.
“The officials can get all the retirement benefits, including pension, gratuity and other facilities. Their children or spouse will get a government job. Is it not sufficient? One has to spend at least `5 lakh to get a government job nowadays. When one can settle their children’s life without paying a penny, it is obvious they will take benefit from this new amendment,” sources stated.
According to BBMP sources, this notification reached BBMP office on March 3, 2012. “At least 10 officials serving in various cadres are in the race to take ‘voluntary retirement’ and their applications are pending at the BBMP Council,” the sources said.
They also said that many of these officials are forging their date of birth certificates.
“According to section 95 of Karnataka Civil Service Rules, the government servant shall give a notice of at least three months in writing to the appointing authority (here it is BBMP). It is six months for the regular retirement. But in this case, the officials who have to retire by this month end or April are yet to give the notice. The new amended rule is yet to be implemented by BBMP. Once it is adopted, the officials are planing to submit their notice along with the forged date of birth,” sources claimed.
BBMP Yet to Approve New Rules: BBMP Commissioner M K Shankarlinge Gowda, the local bodies (BBMP) have to approve the amendment. When asked about the misuse of the rule by a section of officers, he said that it is out of question as it is yet to get nod from the BBMP Council.