Punjab government turns down Parampal’s VRS request, asks her to join duty

Parampal Kaur

Punjab government on Tuesday rejected the resignation of IAS officer Parampal Kaur, who is BJP nominee from the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, and asked her to return to duty.

In a notice to Parampal, the Punjab government under directions from chief minister Bhagwant Mann said that against the sanctioned strength of 231 only 192 IAs officers are currently on the Punjab cadre.

“Thus the state is suffering huge shortage of officers as the result of which a number of officers have been given multiple charges,” the letter shot off by personnel department said.

“Since last so many days you have been actively participating in political activities which falsify the grounds for voluntary retirement mentioned in your application. In light of above State Government has still not waived off the notice period of three months as required under Rule 16(2) and has not passed any order regarding acceptance of your request for VRS,” the letter added.

The 2011-batch ex-IAS officer, Parampal, who is daughter-in-law of Akali veteran Sikander Singh Maluka, as per service record, was due to retire in October this year and was posted as managing director of the Punjab state industrial development corporation. She applied for premature retirement in April and was later named as the BJP candidate from Bathinda.

“However, you have demitted the charge of the post of MD, PSIDC at your own in an unauthorised manner. Hence you cannot be treated as retired or relieved from service. In light of above in public interest you are directed to resume your duties as MD, PSIDC immediately, failing which appropriate action will be taken against you,” the notice further added.

Referring to Parampal’s VRS application the department said that relaxation of notice period can only be given by the state government and that too if it is satisfied and for the reasons to be recorded in writing.

Reproducing the Rule 16(2) of All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958 the letter said: “A member of the Service may, after giving at least three months’ previous notice in writing, to the State Government concerned, retire from service on the date on which such member completes thirty years of qualifying service or attains fifty years of age or on any date thereafter to be specified in the notice with provisions that no member of the service under suspension shall retire from service except with the specific approval of the Central Government.”

It said while the above was under consideration of state government, you (Parampal) directly wrote letter dated April 7 to secretary, department of personnel and training, Union government, even though you were serving under the state government.

“In this letter you stated that your mother is 81 years old and is not keeping in good health, that both your father and your younger brother have expired few years back and there is nobody in India to look after your aged mother, and that you immediately need to remain at the house of your parents in Bathinda all the time to look after your aged ailing mother and pursue further plans in life,” said the state government, adding that Punjab it was separately writing to the Central government in this regard.

The letter also questions centre’s move to accept VRS and said that Government of India has referred to Rule 16(2A), whereas both your requests were under Rule 16(2), which is under state government’s preview.

The issue was flagged by CM Mann earlier on April 11 also when in a post on X he said Parampal’s resignation has not been accepted. But on the same day, Union minister Hardeep Puri in Delhi said that Parampal’s resignation has been accepted by the Centre’s Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which is the competent authority.

As per the DoPT guidelines, an IAS officer, while serving in his/her cadre, is required to submit his/her resignation to the chief secretary, and the central government is the competent authority for accepting the resignation. The state cadre needs to take into consideration outstanding dues and the officer’s vigilance status while forwarding the resignation to the central government. “Resignation tendered by the member of service will be considered by the competent authority i.e. the central government only after obtaining the recommendation of the concerned cadre,” read the guidelines issued by the DoPT.

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