The former civil servants said they were unable to understand why there was a need for such an amendment to the Central Pension Rules
New Delhi: A group of 109 former civil servants have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over changes in pension rules, news agency PTI reported. The letter said that they were surprised and deeply disturbed by the recent amendment to the Central Pension Rules.
“We were surprised, and deeply disturbed, by the recent amendment to the Central Pension Rules notified by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions on 31 May 2021,” said the letter was written by them under the aegis of the Constitutional Conduct Group.
What are the changes in the pension rules?
The amended rules make it mandatory for retired government servants who have worked in select intelligence or security-related organisations to take clearance from the head of the organisation if they wish to make any publication.
Permission is needed to write on matters related to the domain of the organisation.
The former civil servants said they were unable to understand why there was a need for such an amendment to the Central Pension Rules. “If writing about certain matters amounts to grave misconduct, the government can certainly take action, as per law, to deprive the former official of his or her pension,” the letter said.
The former civil servants said they believed that the framers of the new rules have not thought through the consequences of the order.
Signatories to the letter
The signatories to the letter include former Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar, former foreign secretary Shyam Saran, former home secretary G K Pillai, and Najeeb Jung, former lieutenant governor of Delhi.
In 2008, the UPA government tried to introduce such an order for officers who had served in the IB and RAW. The order was widely criticised and eventually withdrawn, the letter said.
