Retired top bureaucrats promoted retrospectively

As per official records, while Vairagi retired on the day he was granted promotion (July 31), Shidhaye, Zankar, Karnik, Wasnik and P G Nikumb have already retired from the service a few years ago.

“We feel that the decision to grant promotion to retired employees with retrospective effect is prima facie illegal. Under the recruitment rules, there is no provision of promoting retired employees. It will set a bad precedent and will also adversely affect the administration,” a senior government official said.

A GAD official however, justified the proposal, saying, it was a notional promotion without any financial burden on the government. “The aggrieved employees had brought to the notice of the government their grievances and injustice to them when they were in service, as such, there was nothing wrong in granting promotion. Though they will not be given arrears, they will be entitled to enhanced pension as per the recommendations of the fifth pay commission,” the GAD official said.

As per an order issued by GAD on September 7, 1995, a deputy secretary is entitled for promotion as Joint Secretary if his confidential record is A instead of B+. However, for the equivalent posts in all other non-Mantralaya departments, the officials with B+ confidential record, were eligible for promotion to the higher cadre.

“A section of the deputy secretaries had submitted a memorandum to the government urging it to take a fresh view of the discrepancies in the recruitment and promotion rules. In addition, they had also demanded that in the event government decides to change rules, it should be implemented with retrospective effect. Government has accepted their contention and accordingly fresh orders have been issued,” the GAD official added.

The official said, in view of the amendment to rules, notional promotion has been given to 10 deputy secretaries, six of whom, have already retired. “We have specifically told them that they will not be entitled for arrears. However, they will get enhanced pension,” the official added.