Retirement of Physically and Mentally Unfit Gujarat Government Officials

In each case, this process should be completed within a period of three months, and the decision regarding retirement shall be made by the relevant committee.

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government has prepared a decision to retire officials in category one and category two who exhibit physical and mental inactivity across various departments. This information was announced on September 29th in a special notice. This move has caused a stir among concerned government officers.

According to the Gujarat Civil Services Rules, the state government has the authority to retire government employees aged 50 or 55 years prematurely. Previous notifications have been revoked, and new procedures and criteria have been announced. This decision will consider relevant facts and circumstances in each case before declaring the untimely retirement of government employees in both the first and second categories. This decision will be subject to scrutiny for penalties or consequences and will not be taken lightly in ordinary circumstances.

On September 29th, detailed notifications were issued by the General Administration Department. It has been stated that this process should be completed in the usual manner, with a decision regarding retirement in each case to be taken by the relevant committee within a period of three months. The quarterly review of government employees will also be conducted at specified intervals. For this purpose, a register will be prepared, and the evaluation will be carried out as per the schedule by senior officials of the department or category. The review will take into account the employee’s complete service record during the review period.

Retirement cannot be granted based on non-performance in the usual manner, and in such cases, retirement can only be given after a one-year probation period and consideration. These employees must demonstrate their suitability to continue in their positions. If a government employee is found unsuitable, either physically or mentally, to serve in their role, they will be retired.

The Supreme Court has emphasized that compulsory retirement shall not be taken in an educational manner and this aspect shall also be considered in the new process by the GAD. If government gazetted officers file an appeal against the orders of their untimely retirement, the government will take this into account. Officers’ non-performance should be taken into consideration in such cases. The final decision will be made based on submissions by the GAD and the Chief Secretary.