Odisha Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja has directed all departments to strictly implement the premature retirement of government employees found incompetent or lacking integrity to maintain administrative efficiency.
In a letter addressed to departmental secretaries, Ahuja stressed the importance of regular performance reviews to identify personnel whose work is unsatisfactory or whose conduct raises concerns. The directive falls under Rule 71 (Clause-K) of the Odisha Service Code, which empowers the government to retire such employees in the public interest.
Action on Non-Compliance of Earlier Circular
The Chief Secretary pointed out that despite a previous circular (No. 27037) issued by the General Administration and Public Grievance Department on September 24, 2019, many departments have not fully complied with the guidelines. This has resulted in inefficient and untrustworthy officers continuing in service, hampering administrative effectiveness.
Expressing serious concern over these lapses, Ahuja has now ordered immediate corrective steps.
Mandate for Regular Reviews
To address the issue, all departments have been instructed to conduct systematic and timely performance assessments of employees. Secretaries must ensure that premature retirement provisions are implemented diligently as per the 2019 guidelines to uphold the integrity and efficiency of the government machinery.
