Want a good appraisal? Pick up a broom

Performance evaluation of PSU executives to be linked to targets in Swachh Bharat campaign

Executives of public sector companies hoping for a good appraisal next year might want to arm themselves with brooms to clean up the street in front of their office or home.

Oil marketing company executives said the new memorandum of understanding (MoU) that the companies would be signing with the government next March would have a provision for executives being given targets to achieve in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

Their performance would be appraised on it.

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan - or Clean India Mission - was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 2. It is the largest official cleanliness drive in the history of the country.

"Performance appraisals of the officials are linked to the MoU. There are certain targets that the officials will be expected to achieve. The targets are designation specific. So, seniors will have a larger chunk to fulfil, while juniors will have a relatively smaller one," said a director of an oil marketing company.

Officials at the department of public enterprises (DPE) said these were merely suggestions and a final target would be framed after negotiations with public sector companies.

"We are only a facilitating ministry. There is an independent task force which will fix the targets for Swachh Bharat campaign," he said.

The official said according to the department's Guidelines on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability for Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), companies should give priority to issues of foremost concern in the national development agenda, such as safe drinking water for all, provision of toilets especially for girls, health and sanitation, education.

"The main focus of the CSR and Sustainability policy of CPSEs should be on sustainable development and inclusive growth, and to address the basic needs of privileged, neglected and weaker sections of the society, which comprise SC, ST, OBCs, minorities, BPL families, the aged, girl children, and physically challenged people," says the DPE guidelines on CSR and sustainability policy of CPSEs.

A senior official at an oil marketing company said: "Though it is a little strange that our performance will be judged on constructing toilets in schools and monitoring cleanliness activities, it is also a good measure, as few people would take an initiative unless they are made accountable."

In October, officials from Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, attached offices and the PSUs took part in the Swachh Bharat campaign. Over 400,000 employees took Swachhta Shapath (cleanliness oath), including those at the 50,000 retail outlets.

Inspection of over 17,000 toilets was taken up by officials of the oil marketing companies.