Time starts ticking for non-performing govt employees

PANAJI
Barely 20 days after the Goa government decided to act tough on non-performing employees, its enforcement is set to begin with the State constituting the ‘Review and Representation Committee’ to recommend discontinuation of service of an employee across all designations. Those who are 50 years and above, or completed a minimum of 30 years are significantly on the target list.

The eight-page Office Memorandum, issued by Personnel Department, is also applicable for government servants with doubtful integrity and those not fit or ineffective for their current designation.

“Government has issued various instructions for undertaking periodic review of the performance of government servants with a view to ascertain whether the government servant should be retained in service or retired from service prematurely, in the public interest. In order to bring in better clarity to the existing instructions and enable uniform implementation, an effort has been made to review, consolidate and reiterate the guidelines so far issued on the subject at one place,” reads an extract of the order. 

The government has also constituted the committees to which all such cases will be referred for recommendation on whether the concerned officer should be retired from service or retained. In addition to this, the Administrative Secretary concerned is also empowered to constitute an internal committee to assist the Review Committee. 

The Office Memorandum further states that the register of employees who are due to attain the age of 50/55 years or to complete 30 years of service has to be maintained and scrutinised by the senior officer every quarter. “Government may, at any time after a government servant has attained the age of 50/55 years or completed 30 years of service, as the case may be, retire him pre-maturely in public interest...” it states.

The government has also given liberty to review any case wherein the decision to retain an officer does not match the opinion of the Appropriate/Appointing Authority. 

The concerned government employee who falls in the category of premature retirement will have an opportunity to place his case before the Representation Committee within three weeks of the issuance of notice. The decision of the Appropriate Authority will also be on a fast track mode as the Office Memorandum directs taking a decision on such representations within two weeks.