The Arvind Kejriwal Government has shot off letters to all its Principal Secretaries, Secretaries and HoDs seeking information related to its Gazetted officers with doubtful integrity.
The Government’s earlier attempt to seek details of officers of doubtful integrity had received a lukewarm response with only nine departments responding back with their respective submissions. After its utter failure to get control over the Anti-Corruption Branch and repeated attempts to get response to its 1031 anti-corruption helpline, the Arvind Kejriwal Government is making desperate attempt to prop up its image of being an anti-corruption crusader in the national Capital.
The Government’s fresh reminder to its top bureaucrats said: “It is, therefore, once again requested to kindly provide the requisite information to this directorate by 10-10-2015 positively.” A senior officer said that even Ministers had been telling their respective officers to speed up the process so that the said list of officers with doubtful integrity could be compiled and submitted on October 10 deadline.
“It was on the expected lines,” said a middle rung babu at Players Building. He was responding to the recent circular issued by the Kejriwal Government to send a list of the corrupt Gazetted Officers (GOs) from every department. The circular that sent the babus into a tizzy was returned with “Nil” report to the Government.
The Government had first sought details from its Principal Secretaries, Secretaries and Heads of Departments to submit details of officers of doubtful integrity of their respective departments latest by September 14. Since only nine departments submitted their response including Tourism, Environment, Planning, Food and Supplies, Delhi Agriculture Marketing Produce, Art, Culture and languages, Finance, Information Technology, Audit and Directorate of Prosecution, the Government was forced to send fresh reminders to its top bureaucrats to send these details at the earliest. Interestingly, these nine departments are considered as dry departments of the Government.
In its earlier communication, Vigilance Secretary Sukesh Kumar Jain had told the top bureaucrats that a list of public servants of Gazette status of doubtful
integrity had to be prepared for the year 2015-2016 and as such they were required to identify the same in their respective departments for inclusion of their names in the said list.
The letter said: “Your attention is drawn to the letter No. F.10 (Misc)Ag. lt/Vig/2454 dated 11-06-87 issued by Directorate of Vigilance, vide with a circular No. 105/1/66-VD dated 28-10-1969 of Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs relating to the preparation of the list of the officers of doubtful integrity was communicated. For ready reference, a copy of the above letter and circular are enclosed once again.” The letter, however, made it clear that in case no information was received by the set-deadline, it would be considered that information related to the officers with doubtful integrity was “nil” in their respective departments. The letter with an attached proforma had sought details like name, designation, date of birth and reasons why the names of officers, with doubtful integrity, had been included in the said list.
A source said that since the Government was unable to get response from majority of its departments, it has shot off a fresh reminder to its top bureaucrats to respond latest by October 10. The source said that none of the departments had mentioned any of its officers in the category of doubtful integrity.
The AAP Government’s move to seek information about its officers with doubtful integrity was reportedly in line with the directions of the Prime Minister’s Office seeking removal of all the 125 bureaucrats against whom the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had initiated investigations.
Prior to the PMO’s move, the Union Government had issued an order on June 28, 2012 for removal of the “dead-wood” from service. And the weeding out was to be done at two stages: One when officer completes 15 years of service or when he completes 25 years of service. Two main criteria for compulsory retirement was that if the officer had been getting “average” rating for 5-7 years consecutively or if he received “a lukewarm or equivocal certificate of integrity”.