Question : Tackling Corruption

(a) the details of the recent decisions taken by the Government with a view to curbing corruption, penalising officials before retirement and strengthening the investigative agencies constituted for checking corruption;

(b) whether the Government has directed all its Departments to conduct monthly reviews of pending corruption cases against higher officials in all Departments;

(c) if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the details of the action taken against various officials in all ongoing/pending cases during the last three years and the current year?

Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office. (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)
(a) to (c): With a view to ensure timely disposal of disciplinary cases and to maintain a mechanism for probity among Government servants, the Department of Personnel & Training has recently issued instruction to all the Ministries and Departments vide Office Memorandum No. 29062/6/2015-AIS(I)(Pt.I) dated 30.9.2015, eliciting information in a standardized format in disciplinary cases for its monitoring. The Department of Personnel & Training handles Prevention of Corruption Act / Disciplinary cases against officers of Indian Administrative Service, Under Secretary and above level officers of Central Secretariat Service, and Group A officers of CBI. As the Cadre Controlling Authority, the Department of Personnel & Training review disciplinary cases relating to these services on monthly basis. The respective Cadre Controlling Authority of Central Services / Cadres have also been directed to monitor disciplinary cases against officers of those services periodically. A Committee chaired by the Secretary, Department of Personnel & Training also monitors on quarterly basis status of all delayed cases of sanction for prosecution and takes necessary steps to resolve delayed cases expeditiously. Government has further issued instruction to the Ministries / Departments regarding time bound submission of proposals to the Cadre Controlling Authority for initiating disciplinary proceedings against IAS Officers.

Furthermore, Government has issued instruction recently to all the Ministries / Departments to carry out periodical review under FR 56(j) and Rule 48 of CCS (Pension Rules, 1972); and under Rule 16(3) of All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958, to weed out the deadwood and inefficient officials in the service.

(d): Appropriate action can be taken against officials only after the cases reach finality. Hence, the information sought with regard to ongoing / pending cases is ‘Nil’.

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