The Centre on Wednesday asked all its departments to conduct disciplinary proceedings through video conferencing against employees accused of corruption and other administrative irregularities. The move comes after the government noticed that disciplinary proceedings were being deferred or delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
In an order, the Department of Personnel Training (DoPT) Ministry cited its 2017 order, saying video conferencing should be utilised to the maximum extent possible to minimise travel undertaken by the Enquiry Officer/Presenting Officer /Charged Officer.
“It is hereby reiterated that the authorities concerned may conduct the disciplinary proceedings with the aid of video conferencing, subject to the condition that principles of natural justice are fully adhered to, while conducting the proceedings through such digital mode,” the ministry said in the order issued to all the Central Government departments.
On the other hand the DoPT ordered that Consumer Affairs Secretary Leena Nandan will be part of a committee to examine the representation of officials sacked for alleged inefficiency or corruption from the Government service. The three-member panel has been reconstituted by the ministry.
Besides Nandan, Ashutosh Jindal, Joint Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat, will be the other member of the committee, it said.
One member nominated by the cadre controlling authority (under whose administrative control the alleged corrupt officials come) will also be part of the panel, the order issued to all secretaries of central government departments said. The committee examines the representation of employees who are sacked under Fundamental Rule (FR) 56 (J), (I) and Rule 48 of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules 1972. Both the provisions allow the government to examine the cases of government employees who can be sacked in public interest for being allegedly corrupt or inefficient.
Almost two years ago the government had launched an online system for transparent and quicker completion of departmental inquiries
against Central Government employees.
A senior DoPT official on Wednesday issuing the fresh directions said the factors for delay include late replies by the officer charged or acquisition of documents required for proving details of the charges, adjournments during the enquiry, and lack of accountability for completion of enquiry.
The online system is a cloud based technology and provides interface to different stakeholders like the administrative ministry that
initiated the enquiry, the cadre controlling authority,
charged officer and enquiry officer as well.
Under the system, all documents required for enquiry will be stored online and authenticated through digital signatures. The communication between the different stakeholders will be through the system with provision for email and SMS alerts. The software has provision for providing status of all pending cases on real time basis.
According to Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), around 5,000 Government officers working in various departments are facing disciplinary proceedings for their alleged involvement in corruption or for violation of service rules.
According to the Government, there had been serious concerns raised on the enormous time and delay encountered for completion of departmental proceedings instituted against Government servants. These proceedings were taking anywhere up to seven years for completion and ever since implementation of online redresssal these matters now get completed in three years but the Government wants to bring it down to two years.