Stating that the decision has been taken “in public interest”, the Gujarat government on Saturday notified the premature retirement of a Class 1 officer, Pankaj Barot, who was serving as the chief officer of Petlad Municipality until afternoon. Barot became the third Class I officer to be prematurely retired “with immediate effect” in one month.
In a notification signed by Deputy Secretary (Urban Development and Urban Housing) Manish Shah, the government said that in exercise of the powers conferred by Rule 10(4) of the Gujarat Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 2002, and in pursuance of the government resolution issued on September 29, 2023, the state, “in public interest”, prematurely retires Barot, municipal chief officer Class 1 of Petlad Municipality, with immediate effect from July 20, 2024.
“He shall be paid an amount equivalent to three months’ salary and allowances, calculated at the same rate he was drawing immediately before the issuance of this notification,” it added.
The notification enlisted two incidents of a departmental inquiry and a chargesheet filed against Barot – dated September 9, 2021 and May 19, 2023, respectively.
Barot was transferred as chief officer to Petlad Municipality in Anand district in January this year from Deesa Municipality, where he was serving as the chief officer since 2023. Prior to that, Barot had served as chief officer of Palanpur and Tharad municipalities in Banaskantha.
He had also served as the chief officer of Anand Municipality from December 2012 to February 2016, when he was booked by the Anand police under Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, in a case pertaining to the extension construction of a shopping complex. Barot had appealed in the Gujarat High Court to quash the FIR, stating that it “attributed no role” to him.
On July 5, the state government had retired “with immediate effect” deputy director of Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration, S J Pandya, for his alleged involvement in the six bogus government offices scam.
He is currently in judicial custody after being arrested by Dahod district police in February.
Also, on June 22, the state government had ordered the immediate premature retirement of a Class 1 officer of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL), superintending engineer J J Pandya, stating that “his behaviour and reputation is such that continuing his services is a danger to public service and damaging to public interest”.