NEW DELHI: The Indian Railways on Wednesday approved compulsory premature retirement of 19 senior officers, including 10 joint secretary level officers, on a single day. It invoked 56(J) of CCS Rules which gives absolute right to the government to retire officials prematurely on grounds of lack of integrity and ineffectiveness. This is perhaps the largest ever lay off by any government entity of such senior officers invoking this provision in one day.
Earlier, in 2019, the national transporter had prematurely retired 32 of its officers above the age of 50 years on grounds of inefficiency, doubtful integrity and conduct unbecoming of a public servant as part of a periodic review. Many were director level officers.
The Rule 56(J) of Fundamental Rules specifies how the government can ask employees to put in their papers. It says the appropriate authority has the absolute right to retire any government servant by giving him notice of not less than three months in writing or three months’ pay and allowances, if it finds so in public interest. Employees who have completed 30 years in service or attained 50 years are impacted under this rule after review.
