Bihar: Policemen's Association Threatens to Launch Agitation Against Compulsory Retirement of Inefficient Govt Employees over 50 Years

Patna: A day after the NDA government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar implemented its decision to compulsorily retire inefficient government employees over 50 years of age, Bihar Policemen's Association has opposed it and threatened to launch an agitation against it.

The policemen’s association is the first body of state government employees that has expressed its resentment in public against the government decision which was announced last year.

As per the official sources, the state Home Department, which is under Nitish Kumar, has decided to set up two high-level committees to implement the order in its own jurisdiction. By doing this, the government has made it clear to identify inefficient police officials for compulsory retirement before their actual retirement age.

According to an official in the chief minister’s office, the Home Department will start the compulsory retirement drive on the recommendations of two high level committees from June this year. Similar high level committees will be set up in other departments by next month to implement the new police.

The opposing association’s president Narendar Kumar Dheeraj said the government decision will cause a massacre. “We will not allow such a decision by the government to be implemented in the department. The association will be forced to agitate on roads if the government will implement it.”

Earlier in August last year as well, the association, which represents more than 90,000 police personnel, had threatened to launch an agitation. Following that, Bihar Police Association’s state president Mritunjay Kumar Singh had written to the state police chief requesting him to withdraw the order.

However, the latter kept silent as during the election campaign of Bihar Assembly polls in 2020, the ruling NDA leaders repeatedly claimed that no such decision will be implemented.

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Opposition parties including Left parties have also criticised the government’s decision of retirement of officials on the ground of non performance. In the run up to the Assembly elections, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav had even attacked Nitish Kumar for issuing a ''decree'' for the retirement of government employees at the age of 50 years and said that if he was elected to power, the retirement age will be increased.

In July 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the General Administration Department of the Bihar government had asked all the departments to hold a yearly screening committee meeting to review performance of officials and employees above 50 years of age, to find those unfit to discharge their duties or to remain in service.