NEW DELHI, Oct 16:
The Centre has directed all Government departments to conduct day-to-day hearing in disciplinary cases being enquired into by them against any delinquent employee.
The Government has also directed all ministries to complete major penalty proceedings within 18 months time.
Apart from this, it has also been decided to give travelling and dearness allowances to a retired Government employee in case he is appearing as a witness in an enquiry being conducted by concerned authority.
The move comes after the Ministry of Personnel accepted some of the recommendations of Committee of Experts on Disciplinary and Vigilance Inquiries (Hota Committee).
“It has been decided that once a regular hearing in a departmental proceeding is started, such hearing should, as far as practicable, be continued on a day-to-day basis, unless in the opinion of the Inquiry Officer, for the reasons to be recorded in writing, an adjournment is unavoidable in the interest of justice,” the Ministry said in its missive issued to all ministries and departments.
It has been decided that in cases where any of the witnesses in a departmental inquiry is a retired Government servant and is appearing before the Commissioners for Departmental Inquiries (CDI), the expenses on payment of admissible TA/DA to such witness would be borne by the Central Vigilance Commission and subsequently be adjusted with the department concerned, it said.
“It has been decided that all ministries or departments shall ensure that all major penalty proceedings against government servants under their control are completed and final orders are passed by the concerned disciplinary authority within 18 months from the date of delivery of charge-sheet on the delinquent government servant,” the Ministry said.
All ministries or departments have been asked to ensure that whenever a disciplinary case file is submitted to the disciplinary authority, seeking approval for initiation of departmental proceedings against a government servant, a complete draft of the articles of charge along with the imputations in support and the list of witnesses and documents, shall also be submitted.
Similarly, whenever a case is referred to the Central Vigilance Commission for its first stage advice, a draft of the articles of charge shall be submitted for its consideration.
It has also been decided that whenever a particular CDI in CVC becomes unavailable to conduct an inquiry on account of transfer, etc, the Commission shall nominate an inquiry officer in his or her place within 15 days and the concerned disciplinary authority shall issue orders within another 15 days.
The Committee, under the chairmanship of P C Hota, former chairman of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), and comprising Arvind Varma, Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training and P Shankar, former Central Vigilance Commissioner as member, submitted its report in July 2010. (PTI)
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