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No Proposal to Lower Age of Retirement,
Confirms Govt.
Times News Network
India
September 21, 2004
Consternation among its employees on Tuesday led the government to deny a TV channel report that the retirement age of the Central government employees would be reduced from 60 to 58 years.
Denying the report, an official spokesman said: "It is clarified that no proposal to lower the retirement age is under the consideration of the government."
The government's reaction also appeared to be prompted by the fear of courting controversy and losing votes with crucial elections in Maharashtra and several by-elections around the corner.
A decision to lower the retirement age, in itself unpopular, would have certainly given an edge to the Opposition.
With PM Manmohan Singh abroad and home minister Shivraj Patil away on a day-long visit to Hyderabad, the government acted to fast before the report could cause any panic among its employees.
Speculation about lowering the retirement age has occurred in the past too.
Last year, the then government had denied media reports, based on a supposed recommendation of the Union law ministry, as "totally incorrect".
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