Operation clean-up: VRS for corrupt officials, warns UP CM

Lucknow, June 20: In a major clean-up operation, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Thursday cracked the whip on corrupt officials, saying they would be forced to take voluntary retirement.

"There is no place for corrupt officials and staff in the government... Action must be taken against such officials by forcing them to take voluntary retirement," an official release quoted him as saying at a meeting here to review the work of the Secretariat Administration Department.

Chairing another review meeting of the Home department, Adityanath also warned corrupt police officials saying, "Officials who cannot work in an honest manner with the policing system, should be forced to take voluntary retirement. The official who does not take interest in working, is a burden and a blot on the police uniform, they should be given the voluntary retirement. Corrupt police personnel will either go to their home or to jail."

Adityanath talked tough as part of his government's renewed efforts to weed out corruption from the bureaucracy and ensure speedy development and effective implementation of welfare measures.

His terse warning came days after the central government dismissed from service 12 senior income tax officers on charges of corruption and professional misconduct.

The list was topped by a Joint Commissioner rank officer against whom there were serious complaints of corruption and extortion from businessmen accused of helping self-styled godman Chandraswami.

Adityanath directed senior officers to prepare a list of corrupt officials and suggested they should be forced to take voluntary retirement, the release said.

He underlined the need to speed up the work of e-office system and directed officials to take appropriate actions on issues related to promotion, filing up the vacancies and retirement of the employees.

He asked senior bureaucrats to take firm action against the corrupt employees, stop their promotion process and give them voluntary retirement.

Soon, a biometric system will be started in the secretariat, the chief minister said.

Besides, IGRS monitoring system should also be strengthened, so that the complainant could be satisfied by the government. This will help bring in transparency and creating a positive image of the government in the eyes of people, he added.