Personnel ministry to PM Modi: '381 babus, including 24 IAS, punished'

'Perform or perish'. This is one of the mantras of good governance being followed by the Modi government to make its workforce accountable, a senior personnel ministry official has said.

The ministry has taken actions like premature retirement and cut in remuneration against 381 civil services officers, including 24 from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, for being non-performers and allegedly being involved in illegal activities, he said.

It highlighted these measures in a booklet titled ‘3 years of sustained HR initiatives: Foundation for a new India’ and in a presentation made before Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently.

“To ensure accountability of bureaucracy, the government has made probity and performance the twin pillars on which good governance rests,” the booklet said.

Strict action has also been initiated against officers on foreign postings who were continuing on such assignments beyond their approved tenures, it said.

“These strict measures have gone a long way towards inculcating a sense of discipline and accountability in the bureaucracy and have sent a message to employees to either perform or perish, while having a positive impact on the performing workforce,” the ministry said.

It said the records of 11,828 Group A officers, including 2,953 all India services like the IAS, the Indian Police Service (IPS) and the Indian Forest Service (IFoS), were reviewed.

The service records of 19,714 Group B officers were also reviewed to eliminate the deadwood and the corrupt.

In the presentation before the prime minister, the ministry said action was taken against 381 bureaucrats.

A total of 25 Group A officers, including one IAS and two IPS, and 99 Group B officers were prematurely retired by the government, the ministry said.

As many as 21 civil servants, including ten IAS officers, deemed to have resigned, it said.

The penalties like dismissal, removal or compulsorily retirement and cut in pension was imposed on 37 Group A officers that included five from the IAS.

In addition to this, 199 Group A officers, including eight from the IAS, were penalised on remuneration, it said.

The ministry, while highlighting its initiatives, said there was “visible demonstration of the will of the State in punishing wrongdoers”.