Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 3: Expressing concern over inordinate delay in disposal of pending complaints/enquiries by the Home Department, State Vigilance Commission today laid stress upon strengthening the internal vigilance system and development of checks and balances within the department.
The Commission convened a meeting with the Home Department regarding the pendency of complaints/enquiries. It was informed by the Secretary, State Vigilance Commission that 517 complaints/enquiries are pending disposal with Home Department out of which 05 are with Administrative Department, 498 with Police Department and 14 with other departments.
Besides these, there are 353 complaints/enquiries which have been referred by Vigilance Organization to the Home Department for conducting enquiries. Out of these, 152 enquiries pertain to Revenue Department, 135 to Education Department, 41 to Rural Development Department and 25 to Social Welfare Department. It was also informed that 36 Regular Departmental Actions are also pending with the department since 2008.
The Chief Vigilance Commissioner said, “it does not appeal to the mind as to why Crime Branch is sleeping over the RDAs in which the Vigilance Organization has recommended to register the cases under substantive law after the preliminary enquiries conducted by Vigilance Organization established the guilt of the erring officers/officials”.
The Director Vigilance Organization was also directed to re-examine complaints /enquiries prior to the year 2008, which have been shown disposed off. Laying stress upon strengthening the internal vigilance system and development of checks and balances within the department, it was directed that the CVOs, DVOs, and District VOs, who are the extended arms of the Vigilance Commission, will be provided advice and assistance whenever and wherever required by them.
The CVOs, DVOs and District VOs were reminded not to delegate and sub-delegate their powers of conducting enquiries and were also advised to submit the report directly to the State Vigilance Commission within the given time frame.
It was made clear that though the CVOs, DVOs, and District VOs are functioning under the direct control of the heads of department, yet they can conduct the enquiry without any kind of pressure from the HODs. “Those who will not take their job/duties seriously a report will go from the SVC against them to the accepting authorities, which will be incorporated in their APRs”, the Commission said.
It was directed that the Home Department should prepare a list of DVOs and circulate it to all its wings and in case of removal of any DVO, the department has to submit valid reasons in writing to the SVC before his removal.
The Special Secretary, Home Department, who was representing Principal Secretary, informed the Commission that they will make all efforts to dispose of the pending enquiries as soon as possible. He informed that a proposal has been moved to incorporate many other services under Public Service Guarantee Act under which presently 8 services are covered.
The Chief Vigilance Commissioner laid emphasis that while there is a need to update rules it needs to be kept in mind that the authority and accountability should be vested in the same authority so that the authority is made accountable to public.
During the meeting, Director Vigilance Organization informed that the Vigilance Organization needs capacity building and enhancement of man power to deal with the menace of corruption effectively.
The Chief Vigilance Commissioner gave 45 days time period to the officers of Home Department to dispose of the enquiries and complaints pending since long.
The meeting was chaired by Kuldeep Khoda, Chief Vigilance Commissioner and attended by RK Jerath Vigilance Commissioner, S Owais, Director Vigilance Organization and other senior officers of Home, Police, Fire & Emergency Services, Prison Department, Vigilance Organization and State Vigilance Commission.
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