LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh government employees aged 50 years and above may now be retired compulsorily if they are found neglecting their work.
All employees above 50 are to be screened and a detailed report of their performance has to be submitted by department heads by July 31, a government official said. Around four lakh of the 16 lakh people working with the state government would be screened.
“You all (departmental heads) should complete screening of all the employees above 50 years of age for compulsory retirement by July 31. For considering 50 years of age, the cut off date will be March 31, 2018,” a government order issued by Additional Chief Secretary Mukul Singhal read.
The employees are unhappy with the order, and the president of the UP Secretariat Employees’ Association, Yadavendra Mishra, said that such attempts were aimed at harassing government servants.
Mishra said a meeting of the Association would be held on Monday to discuss the order and decide the future course of action, which might include going on strike if the state government goes ahead with the exercise to force out senior government employees.
Such orders have been in vogue since 1986, officials said. Quoting original Rule 56 of the Finance Handbook, the order said that the appointing authority, at any given time, can retire temporary or permanent government employees by giving notice after attainment of 50 years of age.