MHA asks divisional heads to complete investigations on time

An office memorandum issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs asked all departments and divisions to strictly adhere to the prescribed time limit in conducting investigations and departmental inquiries.

New Delhi: Indicating that various departments and divisions of the Home Ministry on several occasions do not follow the time limit for completing investigations, the ministry has asked all its departments and divisions to strictly conduct investigations in a timely manner.

"It is observed by the Home Minister that the prescribed schedule of time limit in conducting investigations and departmental inquiries is not being followed by the departments and divisions as per the instructions issued by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)," an office memorandum issued recently by the Home Ministry to the different divisional heads under the ministry has said.

The office memorandum which ETV Bharat gained access to, also asked the divisional heads to strictly adhere to the contents of the CVC's instructions.

Earlier, the CVC in a letter to the Home Ministry had highlighted the delay in disposal of disciplinary cases and said that this is a matter of serious concern to the commission.

"Such delay also affects the morale of the suspected of charged employees and others in the organisation," the CVC in its communication said.

The Commission has said that the departmental inquiries should be completed within a period of six months from the date of appointment of inquiry officers.

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"Regarding other stages of investigation and inquiry, the time schedule, as under, has been laid down in the special chapters on vigilant management in public sector banks and enterprises," it said.

The Commission further said that these time limits should also be adhered to by the ministry and departments of the Government of India, autonomous organisations, and other cooperative societies, in respect of their employees, so as to ensure that the disciplinary cases are disposed of quickly.

The Commission pointed out that a decision on the complaint, whether to be filed or to be entrusted to CBI or to be taken up for investigation by departmental agency or to be sent to the concerned administrative authority for necessary action, needs to be taken within one month from receipt of the complaint.

The office memorandum issued by the Home Ministry has been sent to all its 26 subordinate offices including BSF, CISF, CRPF, NSG, IB, ITBP NCRB, SSB and others.

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