Now, govt allows 18 months for probe against erring officials
Mumbai: For the general administration department, it took four and a half decades to realise that a departmental probe against errant officials cannot be completed in six months.
On Tuesday, it amended the 1979 rule to allow 18 months for the probe.
As per a government order, the Maharashtra Civil Service (Appeal and Discipline) Rules promulgated in 1979, a departmental probe is expected to be completed in three to six months. It was found that owing to complex procedures, particularly the serving of charge-sheet and appointment of inquiry officer, it was not possible to complete the probe in three to six months.
"We found that several erring employees took advantage of the situation, suspended employees secured reinstatement on the grounds that six months had passed after suspension and that the probe is yet to be completed," a bureaucrat said.
The bureaucrat said the 1979 rule was defective and should have been amended long ago to provide for time-bound disposal of departmental probe. "We took note of the shortcomings in the 1979 rules and amended these suitably.
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Now we expect that all the pending departmental probes will be completed in 18 months," he said.
As per the GR, for misconduct and misbehaviour, the departmental probe must be completed in three months. "For minor penalties, the probe must be completed in three months. For cases involving major penalties, the probe must be done in 18 months," the official said.
The bureaucrat said that for the first time the general administration has provided a time limit for every step.
As per the revised procedure, it will be the responsibility of the department to serve the charge-sheet on the erring employee within three months and that he should reply within 15 days, which may be extended by 45 days.
"We expect that the report of the departmental probe will be submitted within nine months, which will be placed before the pubic service commission and on the basis of the recommendation, a final decision will be taken in a month," the official said.
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