Vijayawada: The state government has landed itself in a soup by proposing to amend service rules for government employees. The amendment allegedly suggests that employees above the age of 50 will be offered retirement based on their performance. News of this amendment has created of panic among employees.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has admonished the General Administration Department and ordered the CMO to find out who was responsible for the leakage of the amendment draft. The CMO is prepared to take stringent action against the General Administration Department officials.
Mr Ashok Babu, president of the APNGO Association, says that it is a matter of misinterpretation and miscommunication between the government and the GAD, which the Chief Minister has promised to rectify.
According to sources, the government had intended to take action against corrupt officials, to restore discipline in government departments, for which it had directed the GAD to prepare a draft.
The amendment was recently brought up by the Centre in order to restore performance and discipline as parameters to putting an end to inefficiency and corruption. According to the Centre, if officials are found to be guilty of having indulged in corruption, immediate action can be taken against them. Employees above 50 years of age can be retired without a show-cause notice.
Under the government’s directive, the GAD has adopted the Centre’s draft and directed departments to provide details including the caste, date of joining, age, and location of all employees. It has forwarded these details to the law department as part of the process of implementation of the amendment.
The file, after being cleared by the law department, has been sent to the Chief Secretary. After receiving clearance, it will go to the finance department and then to the Chief Minister for approval.
Employees have appro-ached associations and pressurised them to meet with the Chief Minister to demand an immediate withdrawal of the draft.
Mr Bopparaju Venkates-warlu, chairman of the Amaravati JAC, says, “It is a mistake to try and impose amendments which have been formulated by the Centre for All India Service officials, to the fundamental rules for state government employees.”
“We have brought this matter to the notice of the CMO. This has happened because of the over-enthusiasm of a few officials. The CMO has assured us that it will be rectified at the earliest,” Mr Venkateshwarulu added.
GAD secretary Srikanth is being blamed for the issue getting out of hand and sources said the government was preparing to take action against him.
Ministers have started denying that any amendments will be made to the fundamental rules of government employees.
Finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu spoke on the matter earlier, and excise minister K.S. Jawahar made a statement deeming the rumours false, on Sunday.
