Haryana inquiry officers to be taken to task for unjustified delays

Following delays in completion of inquiries against Class 1 and 2 officers facing disciplinary action for major penalty, the Haryana government has set a deadline for the disposal of pending disciplinary proceedings under rule 7 of the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules

Following delays in completion of inquiries against Class 1 and 2 officers facing disciplinary action for major penalty, the Haryana government has set a deadline for the disposal of pending disciplinary proceedings under rule 7 of the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules.

Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar has also ordered that inquiry officers will be taken to task by initiating deterrent disciplinary action if the administrative secretary is of the view that there has been an unjustified delay by inquiry officers in completing the inquiry. (HT Photo)

Dismissal from service, compulsory retirement; removal from service; withholding of increment, promotion and reduction to a lower pay scale constitute major penalties for Class 1 and 2 officers under Rule 7.

The directions to hasten disciplinary action were issued by the chief secretary after it was found that inquiries in many disciplinary matters could not be finalised by the punishing authorities due to inordinate delay in submission of inquiry reports by the inquiry officers.

Inquiry officers shielding guilty officials

An official said in many instances, the inquiry officers were found shielding guilty officials by delaying submission of inquiry reports.

Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has also ordered that inquiry officers will be taken to task by initiating deterrent disciplinary action if the administrative secretary is of the view that there has been an unjustified delay by inquiry officers in completing the inquiry.

Khattar has also sought a review of the progress of disposal of regular inquiries under Rule 7.

As per government instructions, disciplinary proceedings for major penalty have to be finalised within six months. Chief secretary Vijai Vardhan, in an order, said administrative secretaries will ensure that regular inquiries pending against Class 1 and 2 officers were finalised before November 30.

“Where an inquiry officer is unable to submit the inquiry report by November 30, the administrative secretaries will submit a report to the chief secretary by December 7 mentioning the causes of delay in the finalisation of disciplinary proceeding,” the order said.

Sensitive posts, officers holding them

In another decision aimed at reducing corruption, the state government has started an exercise to identify sensitive posts involving financial implications, grants of licenses, purchases and names of officers holding such posts continuously for over three years.

The government has also decided to prescribe a tenure limit for officers holding such posts. The chief minister has ordered that record of the officers who have been sitting in the same post for years will be looked into and this will decide the fate of their remaining tenures.

The state government had in July ordered that Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Forest Service (IFS) Haryana Civil Service (HCS) and Haryana Police Service (HPS) officers facing CBI or vigilance inquiries will not be given field postings or assignments involving public dealing.

Officers for who sanction to prosecute had been granted by the competent authority or court has framed charges in a criminal case involving moral turpitude also stood debarred for field postings or posts involving public dealing.

Also, officers against whom departmental proceedings entailing major penalty are pending will also be ineligible for field postings and public dealing assignments, the order said.