Hyderabad: With the state govt inundated by requests for reinstatement just days after removing over 6,700 retired officers, officials have now issued a strict directive: No recommendations or appeals for continuation will be entertained.
In an internal communication, the govt instructed department heads not to forward any such requests, putting an end to a long-standing practice of extending retired officers’ tenures. According to official sources, in just two days (March 28 and 29), around 140 officers from various departments submitted pleas to continue in their roles after being removed on March 27. Some directly approached ministers of their respective departments, while others sent their applications to department heads.
Sources in the chief minister’s office confirmed that the govt, as a policy, had decided to discontinue the practice of retaining retired employees. Now, after the large-scale removals, it is determined not to set a precedent for exceptions. Sources said the large-scale removals marked a clear shift in policy, reinforcing the state’s commitment to streamlining administration and creating opportunities for new appointments.
For instance, the municipal administration department alone forwarded recommendations for 17 officers, citing the need for their continued services. Among them were Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited managing director NVS Reddy, officers from the metro rail project, a senior officials in the directorate of municipal administration, and M Satyanarayana from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board. Interestingly, none of the 20 retired officers removed from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority out of 177 was recommended for continuation.
The decision, however, sparked discontent among some ministers who were reportedly not consulted before the abrupt removals. Now, many are advocating for the reinstatement of specific officers within their departments.
There is also no clarity on whether the finance department’s approval is required for continuing certain officers and issuing their salaries.
Officers’ association backs move
Meanwhile, the Telangana Gazetted Officers’ (TGO) Association, which has been vocal against the continuation of retired officers, welcomed the govt’s firm stance. The association had previously written four letters urging the administration to put an end to such extensions, arguing that they affect promotions, particularly for engineers-in-chief in the panchayat raj and irrigation departments. It even threatened legal action over irregular reappointments, which was a key factor in the govt’s decision to act decisively.
“We have long demanded that retired officers should not be retained in the same post and department after retirement,” said Eluri Srinivasa Rao, president of the TGO Association. “With some outsourcing and contract employees also being removed, we have asked the govt to ensure that once regular posts like senior assistants, junior assistants, and computer operators are filled, outsourced employees should be reassigned to other departments where there are vacancies,” he told TOI.
He also suggested that the govt establish a corporation for outsourced employees, allowing them to be deployed wherever their services are needed.
