Central Administrative Tribunal Quashes Voluntary Retirement Plea Of Ex-IAS Officer

New Delhi: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has dismissed a plea of a former senior IAS officer and brother of former Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, seeking voluntary retirement from service, and the associated post-retirement benefits. Sanjeev Singh Ahluwalia was an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre from the 1980 batch. Sanjeev sought premature repatriation, and on a request, he was given permission to accept an assignment of the World Bank to serve in Sudan for a period of one year between September 18, 2005 and September 17, 2006.

On April 19, 2010, Ahluwalia forwarded an application seeking voluntary retirement under the terms of the relevant All India Service Rules. The Centre rejected his plea stating he was not granted an extension beyond a year, and he did not report on duty after the expiry of his foreign assignment. Dismissing Ahluwalia’s plea, CAT Chairman Justice L. Narasimha Reddy said:

“Being an administrator himself, the applicant was supposed to bring about discipline in the various establishments. However, he did not introspect whether his acts and omissions were leading to violation of any provision of law.” The tribunal noted that the unauthorized period of absence of the applicant was six years and one month. Majithia said that, left with no alternative, the state government had issued a notice under rule 7(2)(c) of the Leave Rules, and it was only a year later that the applicant responded with an explanation. (IANS)

Also Read: NATIONAL NEWS