J&K administration asks depts to identify ‘non-performing’ employees

Days after 11 government employees with alleged terror links were terminated from their services, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has asked all administrative secretaries to identify non-performing employees who have completed 22 years of service or above the age of 48 years in their respective departments.

A circular dated July 15, issued by Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, drew the attention of all the administrative secretaries towards a Finance Department memo issued on October 22, 2020, stipulating that an “exercise of review of performance of the government servants will be initiated for each government servant for the first time after his/her completion of 22 years of service or attaining 48 years of age and any time subsequently, as may be required”.

It asked the departments to follow the procedure as laid down in Article 226(2) of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Service Regulations Volume I and place the cases of such identified employees before the Review Committee for consideration of Competent Authority.

To ensure a review in every department, an internal committee comprising administrative secretary, concerned head of department and two senior officers will be nominated by the administrative secretary. The broad criteria to be followed by the review committee while reviewing the performance of employees is their fitness/competence and their utility for the purpose for which they are employed.

Following amendment in Article 226(2) of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Service Regulations inserting a provision for retiring at any time a government servant in public interest after he/she has completed 22 years of service or attained 48 years of age, the UT administration had last year issued a notification providing a time schedule for the exercise to review the performance of each government servant.

The changes followed directions from Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, sources said, adding that this had been done as earlier provisions empowering the government to prematurely retire an employee on the basis of non-performance, misbehaviour and bad conduct were “very vague”.

However, the order is not applicable to employees working on posts included in Schedule II of these Rules, sources said.

The Administrative Department has to maintain a register of staff who are due to attain 48 years of age or complete 22 years of service, sources said, adding that register has to be scrutinised at the beginning of every year by the nominated officers.