In order to strengthen its “zero-tolerance policy” on corruption, the AAP Government has initiated a process to empanel retired officers not below the rank of deputy secretaries as Inquiry Officers to conduct departmental probes in the national Capital. Only those officers — having impeccable integrity and who have either worked with the Central or the State Government — would be empanelled with the Vigilance Department. The validity of the panel would be for a maximum of three years or less on the discretion of the competent authority.
The Government will pick only those officers who do not have any criminal record and have not crossed the age of 65 till April 1. The officers will be bound to give an undertaking of maintaining strict secrecy in dealing with documents, information or data collected or received in connection with any inquiry they will be entrusted by the administration.
The terms and conditions issued by the Government for appointment of the Inquiry Officers clearly suggest that they should neither divulge any details during a probe nor even after the presentation of their reports. The Inquiry Officers will be bound to submit their reports within 90 days and they can be granted extension only by the disciplinary authority.
It is learnt that the payments to these officers will be made only after their enquiry report is accepted by the disciplinary authority. In case, it is not possible for the officer to proceed with any matter due to stay granted by any court, the officer could be discharged from his or her duties after getting honorarium and other allowances on pro rata basis.
The Government had in April appointed eight IAS and DANICS officers as special Vigilance Commissioners in various departments to strengthen its vigilance measures and to streamline speedy disposal of complaints having verifiable facts and cases of disciplinary proceedings.
A report prepared by the Vigilance Department said that a complaint-handling committee had earlier been formulated in line with the instructions of the Central Vigilance Commission and the Union Government’s Department of Personnel and Training to handle corruption-related complaints. The job of the committee is to take necessary action on the merits of each complaint. Some complaints are also sent for investigation to the Anti-Corruption Branch and the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The report said the vigilance directorate had been maintaining regular coordination with the CBI in matters related to investigation of cases, prosecution sanction and initiation of regular departmental action against delinquent employees.
The Government has already put in place a feedback unit in the vigilance directorate for improving and strengthening the monitoring mechanism of activities of various departments, autonomous bodies, institutions and other entities which fall under its jurisdiction.
The report said the AAP Government had been encouraging general public to bring to its notice any matter linked to corruption. It added the Government has emphasised on “preventive vigilance,” lesser discretion and systematic improvement and transparency in providing citizen-friendly services. “Adoption of such measures would, in the long run, help the Government in curbing the menace of corruption and also minimise it to a larger extent. As part of this exercise, the Government has initiated online services, including services on e-applications, to reduce citizens’ visits to offices and provide information electronically rather than over the counter and dispense with unnecessary affidavits and undertakings by replacing them with self-attestation while availing of these services.”