Gujrat Government Retires Third ‘Class I’ Officer in a Month

In a move described as being “in public interest,” the Gujarat government has announced the premature retirement of Pankaj Barot, a Class 1 officer who was serving as the chief officer of Petlad Municipality. This decision, effective from July 20, 2024, marks Barot as the third Class 1 officer to be retired prematurely in the past month.

A notification issued by Deputy Secretary (Urban Development and Urban Housing) Manish Shah states that the retirement has been executed under Rule 10(4) of the Gujarat Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 2002, following the government resolution dated September 29, 2023. Barot will receive an amount equivalent to three months’ salary and allowances, calculated at his last drawn rate.

The notification cites two specific incidents involving Barot: a departmental inquiry and a chargesheet issued against him on September 9, 2021, and May 19, 2023, respectively.

Barot, who was transferred to Petlad Municipality in January from Deesa Municipality, had previously served as the chief officer in various municipalities, including Palanpur, Tharad, and Anand. During his tenure as Anand Municipality chief officer from December 2012 to February 2016, he faced charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, related to the construction of a shopping complex extension. Barot had contested the FIR in the Gujarat High Court, claiming it did not implicate him directly.

Earlier this month, the state government had also retired deputy director S.J. Pandya of the Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration due to his alleged involvement in a bogus government offices scam. Pandya is currently in judicial custody after his arrest by the Dahod district police in February.

Additionally, on June 22, the government ordered the immediate premature retirement of superintending engineer J.J. Pandya of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL), citing his conduct as harmful to public service and interest.