Ensure timely completion of disciplinary cases: CVC to govt departments, public sector banks

New Delhi: The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has asked all government departments, public sector banks and insurance companies to ensure that disciplinary cases are brought to a logical conclusion within the prescribed timelines and without any inordinate delay.

The commission has said the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and it have issued guidelines from time to time, impressing upon the organisations concerned for a timely conclusion of disciplinary proceedings.

"However, it has been observed that on many occasions, there is inordinate delay in bringing the cases to logical conclusion, which is against the principles of natural justice and also defeats the very purpose of initiating disciplinary action," the CVC said in an order.

The commission said it has prescribed model timelines for investigation and conclusion of disciplinary proceedings till the issuance of final orders.

The CVC said the existing instructions and guidelines as issued by the commission and DoPT are "strictly adhered to" by the disciplinary authorities and other authorities concerned.

The chief vigilance officers (CVOs) of the respective organisations may bring these guidelines to the notice of the chief executive officer and all disciplinary authorities concerned, the order said.

"They may also follow up all pending cases to ensure that they are brought to logical conclusion within the prescribed timelines," it added.

The CVC also said in order to ensure a timely and smooth completion of disciplinary proceedings, training needs to be imparted to the prospective and current inquiry officers (IOs) and presenting officers (POs), which will help create a pool of trained IOs and POs in the respective organisations.

"For IOs/POs, who are serving public servants, timely completion of departmental proceedings by them needs to be given due weightage/cognisance by the reporting/reviewing officers in the APARs (annual performance appraisal reports) of such IOs/POs," said the order that has been issued to the secretaries of all central government departments and chief executives of public sector banks and insurance companies, among others.

In another order, the CVC said a time limit of six months has been prescribed for the IOs to complete an inquiry and submit a report to the competent authority.

"However, it has been observed that in a substantial number of cases, completion of inquiry and submission of inquiry report is taking more than the six-month period. One of the reasons contributing to such delay is due to frequent change of IO as a result of transfer, promotion, retirement etc. of the earlier IO," the order said.

The commission said in order to ensure a timely completion of a departmental inquiry, the same IO should continue to conduct the inquiry even after his transfer or promotion till the inquiry report is submitted by him.

In case of the transfer of an IO to a new station, either his transfer orders may be given effect after the submission of the inquiry report or the digital mode or video-conferencing may be used for conducting or continuing with the departmental inquiry, the order said.

"Further, it may also be ensured that a person who is due to retire shortly (may be within a period of one year) is not appointed as IO. In case the departmental inquiry gets delayed due to any reason and the IO retires before submission of inquiry report, he may be considered for continuing as IO even after his retirement, subject to his willingness and other conditions applicable to appointment of retired officials as IOs," it added.