LUCKNOW: In a major crackdown, the Uttar Pradesh government has terminated the services of 22 engineers in the Public Works Department (PWD) late Monday night. The government action came on the even of a deadline fixed by chief minister Yogi Adityanath for government departments to furnish details of underperformers.
Of the 22 engineers sacked, 16 are junior engineers and six are assistant and executive engineers. Additional chief secretary Sadakant confirmed that the action was based on charges of corruption, embezzlement and dereliction of duty.
Disciplinary action against these officers had been pending for some time. On the basis of those cases, the departmental screening committee recommended their dismissal, which was effected on Monday night.
The chief minister had asked 94 departments to present performance reports on their employees by October 31. Earlier in June, the government had re-introduced the policy of retiring or dismissing non-performers above 50 years of age. Consequently, screening committees were set up in each department to review the performance of staff. The move set over 1.5 million state government employees aflutter.
Sadakant said, "Harassment of employees is not our motive. Those who are habitual absentees and those who have indulged in corruption or those against whom departmental proceedings have been pending for some time will have to go."
He said all the erring engineers had been issued show-cause notices and were given time to respond to the charges against them.
The relevant service rules, which staff find draconian, were introduced in UP in 1985 but were never invoked. The present dispensation re-introduced the rules despite protests by employees.
The criteria to decide merit or demerit of an employee is punctuality, disposal of work in time, and a clean public image. On the basis of thises parameters, departmental screening committees were asked to review performance and recommend suitable action against the non-performers.
According to the service handbook, a government employee above 50 years of age can be retired compulsorily after being given three months notice. Since July, the deadline for submission of departmental reports was extended thrice. But, according to sources, there would be no further relaxation beyond October 31.