Following Centre, Delhi too identifying non-performing 'babus'

On the lines of the central government, Delhi Lt. Governor Anil Baijal has issued directions for identifying and filtering out "non-performing" and tainted officers from various departments of the city-state government.

The Raj Niwas has directed the Chief Secretary, DDA, Commissioner of Police and Municipal Commissioners to take requisite actions.

"The departments have been asked to scrutinise the performance of the officials. The process is underway. The Head Of Departments have been asked to submit the action taken report to the Delhi Services Department," a government official said.

The Service Department has directed the Departments to form Review Committees for the periodic reviews of the officials.

The move came after the Central government took similar steps for its officials. The LG had in July directed the Delhi Chief Secretary,  Vice-Chairman of Delhi Development Authority, Commissioner of Police and Municipal Commissioners to take requisite action under FR 56(j), Rule-48 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972.

Baijal asked the Departments to adopt a multi-pronged strategy using a myriad of measures – legal, administrative and technological – to remove corruption from government functioning.

"FR 56(j), Rule-48 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 is important administrative tools to weed out the ‘dead wood' and ‘dark sheep' by compulsorily retiring ‘tainted' officers," Baijal had said.

In the letter, Baijal also said that the central government has taken effective steps to compulsorily retire many ‘tainted' government officers to cleanse the system from the malaise of corruption.

The Lt. Governor "desired that similar steps need to be taken in accordance with the instructions issued by the Government of India from time to time."

Following Baijal's directions, the departments have started the work. In Delhi, although the officials work under the Delhi government, the matter related to 'Services' comes under the LG and the city government does not have any role in transfer or posting of the officials.

"The departments of the Delhi government has constituted committees to scrutinise the performance of its officers. This has been done to identifying the non-performing and tainted officials in the system. All the departments have been asked to submit the reports at the earliest," the official added.

However, this is not a new provision and the periodic review of the performance of government employees have been taking place. "There is nothing new and special about this order," the official added.

There are four cadre officers working in the Delhi government -- Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS), the Delhi Administrative Subordinate Service (DASS) and Steno.

The review Committee of each department will examine the ex-cadre officials not falling under the four cadre sections.

Interestingly, the Delhi government has extended the same for teachers, hospital staffs, and information officers.