Govt unveils major changes in voluntary retirement rules for babus

It comes against the backdrop of complaints of harassment by few bureaucrats

Bureaucrats seeking voluntary retirement can now hope to see their requests acted upon within a set time frame under new service rules unveiled by the Centre.

The move to effect major changes in service rules for babus seeking voluntary retirement comes against the backdrop of complaints of harassment by few bureaucrats who claimed that their requests were kept pending for long time.

The new rules also allow bureaucrats to take back their voluntary retirement request.

The request for voluntary retirement by an IAS and IPS officers will not be kept pending beyond the notice period mentioned by them in such requests, according to the new rules issued by the Department of Personnel and Training(DoPT).

If the competent authorities don't issue any order before the expiry of the notice period specified by a service member, the voluntary retirement shall become effective from the date of expiry of the said period, the rules said.

"Provided that, where no order is issued by the competent authority, then after the expiry of the period specified in the notice, the central government may issue orders."

The new rules are applicable on three all-India services--Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS).

Existing rules allow a service member to retire before attaining 60 years age of superannuation, after giving three months' notice in writing to the state government concerned, on the date on which he or she completes 20 years of qualifying service or any date thereafter to be specified in such requests.

The request for withdrawal of notice of voluntary retirement shall be submitted to the competent authority within the period mentioned in the notice, the rules said.

Earlier rules allowed an IAS, IPS or IFoS officer to withdraw notice of voluntary retirement only "after it is accepted by the state government".