ISLAMABAD: The government has asked all ministries to line up meetings of their respective committees set up for evaluation of the performance of government employees from grade-1 to 19, leading to retirement of underperformers even before reaching their age of superannuation (60 years).

The government has already notified the “Civil Servants (Directory Retirement from Service) Rules 2020” under which employees can be retired even before reaching 60 years of age (superannuation) on the basis of their performance. All the ministries and divisions had been directed to “maintain a list of all civil servants who have completed twenty years of service and the performance of these civil servants shall be reviewed by respective Retirement Board and Committees”.

In a fresh office memorandum, the establishment division of the Cabinet Secretariat has asked all the ministries, divisions and departments “to indicate dates by July 31, 2020 on which meetings of the Retirement Committees for civil servants of BS-17 to BS-19 and BS-1 to BS-16 are planned to be held”.

The ministries and divisions have already constituted two separate directory retirement committees (DRCs) to deal with cases of civil servants. One such committee, led by additional secretaries (BS-21) of the respective ministry and comprising BS-20 officers of the establishment division, law division and finance division and the division concerned, will review the performance of officers in grade 17-19. The second committee in each ministry, led by senior joint secretary or joint secretary (BS-20) of the ministry concerned and comprising BS-19 officers of the establishment division, law division and finance division and HR section of the division concerned, will deal with employees in BS-16 and below.

Under new rules, employees can be retired prematurely on basis of poor performance

The “Civil Servants (Directory Retire­ment from Service) Rules, 2020”, approved by the prime minister and notified on April 15, have practically abolished protection of 60 years in service and employees and officers can be retired before attaining 60 years of age on the basis of performance.

No civil servant will be recommended for directory retirement under these rules unless any one or more of the following conditions is/are fulfilled in his/her case: If an employee has earned average performance evaluation reports (PERs) or adverse remarks have been recorded in three or more PERs from three different officers, for a period not less than six months and have attained finality after appeal there against if any.

If the employee has been twice recommended for supersession by the Central Selection Board (CSB), Departmental Selection Board (DSB) or Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC), as the case may be, or twice not recommended for promotion by the High Powered Selection Board and such recommendations have been approved by the appointing authority and the matter has attained finality or the employee has been found guilty of corruption or has entered into plea bargain or voluntary return with the National Accountability Bureau or any other investigating agency.

The employee will also be retired if he/she has been on more than one occasion placed in category ‘C’ by the CSB, DSB or DPC under the Civil Servants Promotion (BPS-18 to BPS-21) Rules, 2019, or the employee’s conduct is unbecoming. Each division, department or office will maintain a list of civil servants who have completed service along with their complete service record. The retirement board and retirement committees will review performance of all civil servants.

Under sub-rule(1), prior to retirement at the age of superannuation or exercising the option of premature retirement, cases of civil servants will be referred by the secretary or cadre administrator concerned to the relevant retirement board or retirement committees if it is determined that grounds for directory retirement as specified in Rule 5 have become applicable.

If the competent authority, after examining the recommendations of the retirement board or retirement committees and other record placed before it, agrees with the recommendations for directory retirement of a civil servant, he shall issue a show-cause notice to the civil servant concerned, informing him of the grounds on which it is proposed to make the directive for directory retirement and, will provide him the opportunity of personal hearing if so requested by the civil servant concerned.

In cases where the prime minister is the competent authority, he may designate a BS-22 officer for granting personal hearing to the civil servant(s) on his behalf. On receipt of reply of the civil servant and after giving him the opportunity of personal hearing, when the competent authority is satisfied that further retention in service of the civil servant is not in public interest, the competent authority will pass an order for directory retirement.

A civil servant against whom an order for directory retirement is passed by the competent authority will be eligible for pension or other retirement benefits as the competent authority may direct. A civil servant against whom an order for directory retirement is passed by the competent authority will have the right of appeal or review in accordance with the Civil Servants (Appeal) Rules, 1977.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2020