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Government sacks two 'non-performing' IPS officers

The Narendra Modi government has cracked the whip on ‘non-performing’ civil servants by ordering premature retirement of two Indian Police Service (IPS) officers —Raj Kumar Dewangan of Chhattisgarh cadre and Mayank Sheel Chohan of Union Territories cadre.

Dewangan is 1992 batch officer while Chohan belongs to the 1998 batch.

Officials in the home ministry, which is cadre controlling authority for IPS officers, said the order for the pre-mature retirement of Dewangan and Chohan was issued following a performance review which found that their ‘services were no longer useful for general administration’ and they can be compulsorily retired in ‘public interest’.

Union home ministry invoked sub-rule 3 of Rule 16 of All India Service (Death-Cum Retirement Benefits) Rules while ordering their premature retirements.

“Objective of these rules is to ensure better administration and also to weed out officers who have outlived their utility and have become inefficient or ineffective. It cannot be considered a punishment as the officers get all their pension benefits,” said a home ministry official.

The home ministry is expecting a legal challenge from the two officers on the order.

“But we have done our homework before taking such a decision,” said the officer.

He added that such a performance review takes place at three stages – when the officer had completed 15 years of service, second at completion of 25 years in service or attaining the age of 50 years or if a performance review has not taken place at these two stages, then after a review at the time chosen by the government.

Under the rules, before issuing such an order, the government has to give three months notice to the officer or pay for the same period in lieu of notice.

Dewangan and Chohan had hit headlines earlier for wrong reasons. Around 18 years back when Dewangan was a SP rank officer, he faced inquiry in connection with a loot that took place in his district. Chohan while being posted in Arunachal had gone missing in controversial circumstances few years ago.

Source: HindustanTimes