The Haryana Government has directed all departments not to send any matter for conducting vigilance enquiry or registration of criminal case directly to State Vigilance Bureau and all such matters should be sent to the Chief Secretary only after obtaining approval of competent authority.
The departments have also been asked to ensure that no statement regarding registration of vigilance enquiry in criminal cases by state vigilance bureau (VB) is made before any court without verifying the same from the bureau.
Haryana Chief Secretary’s office has sent a communiqué in this regard to all administrative secretaries, heads of departments, commissioners, chief administrators, deputy commissioners, sub divisional officers and registrar of all Universities.
The communiqué stated, “The state vigilance bureau has reported that various complaints/cases are referred to them directly by administrative secretaries or heads of departments for conducting vigilance enquiries or even for registration of criminal cases against their employees without the approval of competent authority.”
Sometimes, matters involving court cases are also sent to vigilance bureau directly by concerned departments with the request to look into them and then, the courts are informed by that department that vigilance bureau is already looking into it, which can and does lead to legal complications, stated the letter.
It added, “The department concerned loses sight of the fact that any enquiry to be conducted against a gazette officer by vigilance bureau has to have the prior approval of the government/chief secretary.”
Therefore, no matter for conducting vigilance enquiry should be sent directly to the VB and approval of chief secretary should be obtained in such matters, the communiqué said.
As per vigilance manual of Haryana Government, vigilance enquiries in case of class I and II officers, MlAs, sarpanches, members/chairmen of zila parishads, councilor/members of local bodies and private persons can be registered only on the explicit orders of State Government. However, enquires can be registered in case of class III and IV employees at the level of Director General, State Vigilance Bureau.