"You all (departmental heads) should complete screening of all the employees above 50 years of age for compulsory retirement by July 31. For considering 50 years of age, the cut off date will be March 31, 2018," a government order issued by Additional Chief Secretary Mukul Singhal read.
"It means employees who have completed 50 years by this date will be considered for screening," the order said.
It also said that according to rules, any government employee -- whether temporary or permanent -- can opt for retirement.
The order has, however, not gone down well with the employees, with the president of the UP Secretariat Employees' Association, Yadavendra Mishra, saying that such attempts were aimed at harassing government servants.
"It will not be tolerated," he said, adding that a meeting would be held here tomorrow to discuss the order and decide the future course of action, which might include going on strike if the state government goes ahead with the exercise to force out senior government employees.
While such orders have been in vogue since 1986, they were not being implemented in letter and spirit by several departments, officials said.
Now to make sure that the order is implemented, all departments have been asked to complete screening of employees for the purpose of compulsory retirement by July 31, the order said.
Employees who have crossed 50 years on March 31, 2017, will have to undergo screening, it said.
The order, dated July 6, has been marked to the additional chief secretary, the principal secretaries and the secretaries in the government.
Quoting original Rule 56 of the Finance Handbook, the order said that the appointing authority, at any given time, can retire temporary or permanent government employees by giving notice after attainment of 50 years of age. The time period of this notice will be three months.