by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
Modi's crack down on Corrupt bureaucracy now
Third List of “Dead-wood Babus” readied
Secretaries told to dust up files
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, June 22
The Modi government, in its second stint, has sent a clear signal to cleanse ministries, departments and PSUs of corruption and inefficiency at the bureaucratic level.
If the Modi government sacked 27 IRS and customs officers within one month of its second stint, a list of another 50-60 is on the anvil drawn from various departments and PSUs. This include IAS, IPS and other services including those belonging to the PSUs.
Various reports of the Central Vigilance Commission which recommended penal action against these officers are gathering dust for years. Penal action recommended against officers for dereliction of duty had no takers. Now it transpires that Department of Personnel under PM Modi and junior Minister Dr Jitendra Singh and Ministry of Home Affairs under Amit Shah have set up a cell where all such cases are being scrutinised for speedy action.
The government's intention became clear after the DOPT wrote a to all secretaries of ministries and departments asking them to submit reports of officers who they think should be prematurely retired under Fundamental Rule 56(j) (1) and Rule 48 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972. Fundamental Rule 56(j) of Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, provides for compulsory retirement of government staff in public interest. No appeal can be filed against this order who are above the age of 50 years as these officers are not denied pensionery benefits. Interestingly, this rule existed for long but rarely used during the past several decades.
A senior minister who is part of this exercise explained on the condition of anonymity that the files of 27 IRS and Customs & excise officers retired prematurely from service was pending for the past several years. The action was delayed due to one reason or the other. However, when the 100-day agenda of the government was being chalked out, it was suggested by ministers that action against the corrupt officers in various wings be expedited. The focus is on those officers who have been found guilty and continue in service without any stay order from courts or otherwise. Obviously, the Modi government is sending a clear signal that it will not tolerate the deadwood and corrupt. The government is also on track to hire talent through the lateral entry route to draw talent.
While in the first term, Modi claimed at public meetings that there were no allegations of corruption against his ministers and there is no “political corruption”, his focus now is to rid of corruption and inefficiency at the officers level.
