Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Srinagar Oct 23: A day after government announced amendments in civil service rules, Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) Friday started holding deliberations with employees to decide the future course of action.
On Thursday, J&K government announced that it has amended civil service rules to allow the administration to retire government employees at any time after completing 22 years of service or attaining the age of 48 years.
The employees can be retired after being given three months notice or three months of pay and allowance in lieu of the notice.
An official press release informed that the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory government has introduced certain substitutes in 226(2) Article of Jammu and Kashmir Civil Service Regulations on the orders of Lieutenant Governor.
A notification issued by Finance Department states that “in exercise of powers conferred under proviso to Article 309 of Indian Constitution, Lieutenant Governor has directed that Article 226(2) of Jammu and Kashmir Civil Service Regulations may be substituted as follows:
“226 (2): (a) Notwithstanding anything contained in these regulations, government may, if it is of the opinion that in the public interest to do so, require any government servant other than one working on a post which is included in Schedule II of these rules, to retire at any time after she/he has completed 22 years of qualifying service or on attaining 48 years of age, provided that the Appropriate Authority shall give a notice to government servant at least 3 months before the date on which she/he is required to retire or 3 months of pay and allowance in lieu of such notice.”
While employees unions have started holding deliberations on the amendments made in the service rules.
On Friday, Employees Joint Action Committee, an umbrella body of employees unions, held meetings with employees associations to discuss the issue. “There are apprehensions among employees that amendments in service rules could be misused. We are taking views from various unions about their issue,” an employee’s union leader said.
EJAC President Fayaz Ahmad Shabnam confirmed to news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) that they have started holding deliberations with employees unions across J&K on this issue.
“The issue pertains to all employees across J&K. We held a meeting on Friday and will continue next week. Once we complete holding deliberations on this issue across J&K, we will put our viewpoint before employees, people and government. Only then future course of action can be decided,” he said.
The government notification states that “a government servant who is retired immediately after allowing her/him pay and allowances in lieu notice will be entitled to pension from the date of such retirement and the pension shall not be deferred till after the expiry of the three months for which she/he is paid pay and allowances.”
Setting the time schedule to be followed, the notification states that “the exercise of review of performance of the government servants will be initiated for each government servant for the first time after her/his completion of 22 years of government service or attaining 48 years of age and any time subsequently, as may be required.”
It further states that, ”a register of the government servants who are due to attain the age of 48 years or to complete 22 years of service, has to be maintained by the Administrative Department. The register should be scrutinized at the beginning of every year by officers to be nominated by the Administrative Department concerned and the review be undertaken as mentioned in sub-clause (b).”
The government may, at any time after a government servant has attained the age of 48 years or completed 22 years of service, as the case may be, retire her/him in public interest.
