New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS): The Defence Ministry on Thursday said 13 Group A officers of the Indian Ordnance Factories Service (IOFS) have been retired in public interest after their "overall performance was found not up to the mark".

It was part of the measures taken to improve the performance of ordnance factories, a Ministry said in a statement here.

It said the step was taken after rigorous screening/evaluation of overall performance of officers based on their entire service records "in pursuance of instructions contained in the Fundamental Rule 56(j) and Rule 48(1)(b) of Central Civil Service (Pension) Rules, 1972, and prematurely retire officers whose overall performance is found not up to the mark".

"The government, after having assessed the overall performance of officers of the Indian Ordnance Factories Service, following the prescribed procedure, decided to retire its 13 Group A officers from service in public interest due to their overall unsatisfactory performance," it said.

The ordnance factories are under the administrative control of the Department of Defence Production of the Defence Ministry. These are managed by officers of the IOFS, a Group A Central Service.

The service provides requisite leadership to 39 ordnance factories that employ around one lakh employees.

"The government is taking steps to improve ordnance factories' performance by making its officers accountable to ensuring delivery of quality products to the armed forces of the nation within prescribed timelines," the statement added.