Centre Clarification – No proposal to reduce retirement age from 60 years to 58 years

No proposal to reduce retirement age from 60 years to 58 years – Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply to Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI : The government today clarified that there is no proposal to reduce the retirement age of central government employees from 60 years to 58 years.

“No Sir. Presently, there is no proposal to reduce age of retirement on superannuation from 60 years to 58 years,” Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.

MPs Kaushal Kishore and Upendra Singh Rawat had asked whether there is any proposal before the government to decrease the retirement age of central government employees from 60 years to 58 years or under article 56(J) of compulsory retirement on attaining the age of 50 years.

In his reply, the minister said there are provisions under Fundamental Rules 56(j), Rule 48 of Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972 and Rule 16(3) (Amended) of All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958, according to which the government has the absolute right to retire officials prematurely, on the ground of lack of integrity or ineffectiveness, in public interest, by giving notice of not less than three months in writing or three months’ pay and allowances in lieu of such notice.

Such provisions can be applicable on a government employee if he is, in group ‘A’ or group ‘B’ service or post in a substantive, quasi-permanent or temporary capacity and had entered service before attaining the age of 35 years, and is over the age of 50 years, the minister said.

In any other case, these rules will be applicable to the employees once they attain the age of 55 years, he said.

Earlier in September, there were rumours that the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has given clearance to a proposal for reducing the superannuation age of central employees with effect from April 2020. The government had later on clarified that there is no such proposal.

Social media posts had claimed that the government has finalized proposals for implementation of 33 years of service or 60 years age, whichever is early, for retirement on superannuation for all government employees and that the file has been sent to the Finance Ministry for implementation with effect from April 1, 2020.

Source: livemint