Orissa High Court quashes OAS officer's premature retirement

The Orissa High Court has quashed the premature retirement of a senior Odisha Administrative Service (OAS) officer, ruling that the state government violated mandatory service code guidelines. The court directed the state to treat the officer as having remained in service until his scheduled retirement on January 31, 2021, and to provide all consequential retirement benefits.

The officer, who served as Director of AYUSH, had been prematurely retired in August 2020 following an arrest and subsequent suspension. The court found that the government failed to adhere to 2019 guidelines, which prohibit premature retirement when an officer is within four months of their scheduled superannuation.

Separately, Odisha Chief Electoral Officer RS Gopalan has denied allegations of foul play regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Addressing claims concerning the deletion of millions of voters, Gopalan stated that the process was transparent and followed all prescribed procedures. He explained that the reduction in voter numbers resulted from house-to-house surveys that identified deceased individuals, permanent shifts, untraceable voters, and duplications. Gopalan also noted that he has applied for voluntary retirement from service due to personal and health reasons.