Ashwini Vaishnaw ousts 10 senior DoT officials with 'doubtful' integrity

New Delhi, December 24

Continuing his perform-or-perish drive and zero tolerance to corruption, Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has approved forced retirement for 10 senior DoT officials, including a Joint Secretary, an official source said on Saturday.

This is the first time employees in the Department of Telecom (DoT) have been given forced retirement under Section 56 (J) under the Pension Rule 48 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972.

“The Telecom Minister has approved forced retirement for 10 senior DoT officials for doubtful integrity and the government’s zero tolerance for corruption. Out of 10, nine officials were working at director level and one official is of joint secretary rank,” the source said.

The move from the minister comes a day before the eve of “Good Governance Day” celebrated by the government every year.

In September, a senior BSNL official, who was caught napping in Vaishnaw’s meeting after the Cabinet cleared a Rs 1.64 lakh-crore package for the public sector enterprise, was given voluntary retirement from the service.

The minister, in terse words at the pan-India Chief General Manager (CGM)-level meeting in the first week of August, had asked BSNL employees to perform and turn around the loss-making and debt-ridden telecom firm in 24 months by putting their best efforts or opt for voluntary retirement scheme (VRS).

The minister at the meeting had caught the CGM napping and asked him to immediately leave the room and take VRS.

The official was serving as CGM, Quality Assurance and Inspection, in Bengaluru. Vaishnaw at the meeting had said that those who cannot work can take VRS and rest at home and if there is any hesitation by such officers in taking VRS then government may invoke compulsory retirement rule as it has been done in the Railways.

Vaishnaw, who also holds the Railways portfolio, has cleared forced retirement for about 40 officials, including a secretary-level officer and two special secretary-level officers, in the Railways for their non-performance and doubtful integrity. — PTI

Setting a precedent

• In September, a senior BSNL official was given voluntary retirement after he was caught napping at a meeting chaired by Vaishnaw
• Vaishnaw, who also holds the Railways portfolio, has cleared forced retirement for about 40 officials, including a secretary-level officer and two special secretary-level officers, in the Railways for their non-performance and doubtful integrity