HC upholds BJP govt decision on 58 as retirement age in Haryana

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Harayna high court on Tuesday upheld the decision of the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government on rolling back the retirement age of state government employees from 60 years to 58 years. Questioning the intentions of the previous Bhupinder Singh Hooda in taking this decision just ahead of the assembly polls, the HC held that this was apparently done "to garner support of particular vote bank".
"The timing of such a decision is not lost on this court. The state assembly elections were around the corner. The model code of conduct was on the verge of being imposed. The decision to enhance the age of retirement, and that too in derogation of the relevant rule, can only be seen as an attempt to garner a particular vote bank," held the high court.
Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa of the high court passed these orders while dismissing a bunch of petitions filed by employees against the state government.
Justice Dhindsa also held that no right had been vested in the petitioners to continue in service till the age of 60 years on the strength of instructions, which are in derogation of the relevant Statutory Rule. Court was of the view that the instructions issued by the Hooda government on August 26 for enhancing the age of superannuation to 60 would not acquire the character of a statutory rule.
Further holding that there is no infirmity in the decision of reducing retirement age to 58 years, the HC held, "Court would have no hesitation in holding that the action of the state government in reversing the earlier decision of enhancing the age of retirement by terming the same to be not honest is well-founded".
Soon after taking over the reins in the state, on November 25, Khattar government had rolled back the decision of the previous Hooda government on the enhancing the retirement age of the government employees.
It was further stated that the retirement age of IAS officers, judicial officers and the teachers of government-aided colleges of the state is 60 years and the decision to increase the retirement age of employees to 60 years was taken in August in view of this.