Published Jul 07, 2026 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 07, 2026 | 8:00 AM
Lakshadweep administrator Praful Khoda Patel.
Synopsis: The Lakshadweep Administration has compulsorily retired 47 permanent government employees under Rule 42 of the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021, citing “public interest.” While the Administration says the move is not disciplinary and that the employees will receive retirement benefits, those affected allege they were removed without prior notice or any explanation specific to their cases.
After offering his morning prayers at home, AP Muhammed Rafeeque left for the District Court in Kavaratti, just as he had done on almost every working day for the past 12 years.
As an Upper Division Clerk (UDC), the courtroom had been his world from 9 am to 6 pm. He carried out his duties as usual until the clock struck 6 pm.
But as he prepared to leave, an unusual silence and sadness had settled over the faces of his colleagues. One of them walked up to him and asked him to check the court employees’ WhatsApp group.
Rafeeque opened the group and found an official order issued by the Lakshadweep Administration. It announced the Administration’s decision to compulsorily retire 47 permanent government employees under Rule 56(j) of the Fundamental Rules.
Rafeeque’s name was the 10th on the list.
The world around him came to a standstill. Without even a warning, he had found himself out of a stable government job that had given him security for over a decade.
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The Lakshadweep Administration’s decision to compulsorily retire 47 permanent government employees has triggered widespread concern across the islands, with affected workers alleging that they were removed from service without prior notice or any explanation specific to their cases.
Copy of one order
Employees from several government departments say the decision has left families anxious about their financial future, particularly in a region where government jobs are among the few stable employment opportunities.
The Administration issued the order on 2 July under Rule 42 of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 2021.
According to the order, the employees have been compulsorily retired in the “public interest” and that the action does not constitute a disciplinary penalty.
Under the order, the affected employees will receive three months’ pay and allowances in lieu of notice, along with pensionary and other retirement benefits admissible under the applicable rules.
However, the order does not specify the individual reasons for selecting the employees for compulsory retirement.
For many of those affected, the announcement came as a complete surprise.
Muhammed Rafeeque told South First there had been no indication whatsoever that such an action was imminent.
“There was absolutely no hint that this was coming. We were completely shocked,” Rafeeque said.
Employees marked with green dots are Kavaratti Court staff who were subjected to compulsory retirement.
He maintained that his service record had remained spotless throughout his career.
“There is no adverse remark in my service book. Before joining the court, I served in the Education Department for around 10 years. I also worked in the Tourism Department. I am medically fit as well. So on what basis were we selected? I still don’t understand,” he said.
Rafeeque supports a family of six, including his wife and five children. Like many middle-class government employees, he has ongoing bank loans and EMIs, many of them taken to finance his children’s education.
“Out of nearly one lakh people living in Lakshadweep, only about 5,000 have permanent government jobs. Losing one of those jobs means losing a major source of livelihood,” he said.
“Now I don’t even know how we are supposed to survive here. We have not even received our relieving orders yet.”
Another employee, S Hussain Ali, also a UDC at the Kavaratti District Court, said employees first learned about the compulsory retirement through unofficial channels rather than through departmental communication.
“There was no official communication beforehand. I came to know about it only after reaching the office that morning. Nowadays, every order circulates through social media first. That is how we learned about it,” he told South First.
According to the order, those retired belong to a wide range of government departments, including Tourism, Ports, Press, Museums, Election, Industries and Health.
Many of those affected are middle-aged employees who have spent decades in government service. Finding alternative employment is another major concern.
Unlike mainland India, Lakshadweep has very limited private sector employment opportunities. Employees said that after spending decades in government service, many are now uncertain about where they can find work.
“We are middle-aged now. We don’t even know which door to knock on for another job,” one affected employee said.
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Lakshadweep MP Hamdullah Sayeed has strongly criticised the Administration’s decision, saying the compulsory retirements were carried out without following due process.
Sayeed told South First that the order, issued by Special Secretary (Services) Padmakar Tripathi, directed the compulsory retirement of 47 permanent employees without individual explanations or prior legal notice.
“The employees have been offered three months’ salary along with admissible pensionary benefits. However, although the Administration says the decision has been taken in the ‘public interest’, it has not explained what exactly constitutes that public interest in these individual cases,” Sayeed said.
The order, according to Sayeed, appears to have been based on the recommendations of a review committee constituted by the Lakshadweep Administration in August 2021 to assess the efficiency of government employees.
List of affected employees
Sayeed said that when a similar exercise was initiated earlier, he had approached the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking intervention and requesting that the decision be reconsidered.
“That representation is still pending before the Ministry. Despite that, the Administration has now proceeded with another round of compulsory retirements,” he alleged.
“The decision affects not just individual employees but entire families. It weakens the economic security of households and raises serious concerns regarding the rights of permanent government employees.”
Sayeed said he would once again approach the Ministry of Home Affairs, seeking the immediate withdrawal of the order, and would also raise the issue during the forthcoming session of Parliament.
Beyond the immediate loss of employment, many affected workers say the decision reflects a broader shift in governance that they believe began after Praful Khoda Patel assumed charge as Administrator of Lakshadweep in 2020.
“Our land has never experienced anything like this before. We feel these actions are inhumane,” one employee said.
Many residents recalled that previous Administrators, despite political differences, maintained close engagement with local communities.
Employees cited former Administrators such as Omesh Saigal, J Sagar and Wajahat Habibullah as examples of officials who, they said, maintained cordial relations with island residents irrespective of their political affiliations.
They also noted that Administrators appointed during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee—the previous BJP leader to hold the position—did not face the level of public resentment witnessed in recent years.
“We don’t understand why we are constantly being targeted. People feel that over the past few years there have been repeated concerns about our language, culture, livelihood and now even our source of income. Everything seems to be changing all at once,” one affected employee said.
