GO.Ms.No:232, Dt:06-08-2003 | Doubtful Integrity | Corruption - Maintenance of lists of Officers

GOVERNMENT OF ANDHRA PRADESH

ABSTRACT

Public Servants - Combating Corruption in Public Services - Maintenance of lists of Officers of Doubtful Integrity and Suspect Officers - Instructions - Issued.

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION (SPL. C) DEPARTMENT


G.O.Ms.No.232.                                                                                Dated: 06-08-2003
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ORDER:

Government places highest importance on providing clean and corruption free administration in the State. The Government have examined practices of the Government of India in maintaining annual list of Officers of Doubtful Integrity and obtaining vigilance clearance for promotions of Senior Officers from the Central Vigilance Commission and decided to implement the practice of the Government of India. Accordingly, the matter has been placed before the High-Level Committee on Anti-Corruption and the Committee in its meeting held on 26-10-2002 agreed that within a time span of three months the exercise for preparation of the following documents should be completed by all Departments in consultation with the Director General, Anti-Corruption Bureau, Hyderabad.


 (a)  List of Officers of Doubtful Integrity,

 (b) Agreed list of Suspected Officers.

 (c)  List of points or places of corruption.

 (d) List of unscrupulous contractors, suppliers and firms.

 (e) List of unscrupulous contact men.

2.  After examining the recommendation of the High-Level Committee on Anti-Corruption, the Government hereby order that the above lists should be maintained by the Secretaries of the Departments of Secretariat. The procedure for maintaining lists is as follows:

LIST OF PUBLIC SERVANTS OF GAZETTED STATUS OF DOUBTFUL INTEGRITY:

It will include names of those Gazetted Officers only who, after enquiry or during the course of enquiry, have been found to be lacking in integrity. It will thus include the names of the Officers falling under one of the following categories:


(i)       Convicted in a Court of Law on a charge of lack of integrity or for an offence involving moral turpitude, but on whom in view of exceptional circumstances, a penalty other than dismissal, removal or compulsory retirement is imposed.
 
(ii)      Awarded Departmentally a major penalty

(a)      On charges of lack of integrity

 

(b)   On charges of gross dereliction of duty in protecting the interests of Government although the corrupt motive may not be capable of proof.

 

(iii)    Against whom proceedings for a major penalty or a Court Trial are in progress for alleged acts involving lack of integrity or moral turpitude.

 

(iv)     Who were prosecuted, but acquitted on technical grounds and in whose case on the basis of evidence during the trial there remained a reasonable suspicion against their integrity.

    The names of the Officers of the following categories should not be included in these lists:

(a) Officers who have been cleared or honourably acquitted as a result of disciplinary proceedings or Court Trial.

 

(b) Officers against whom an enquiry or investigation has not brought forth sufficient evidence for recommending even a disciplinary case.

 

(c) Officers who have been convicted of offences not involving lack of integrity or moral turpitude.

 

(d) Officers against whom disciplinary proceedings have been completed or are in progress in respect of administrative lapses, minor violation of Conduct Rules and the like. 

3.       Those lists are intended to keep the Departments I Public Undertakings concerned informed about such Officers of doubtful integrity to ensure that they are not posted to sensitive assignments and that this fact is given due consideration when deciding administrative matters affecting the service of these Officers. These lists would also help the Departments to know about the Officers, whose work and conduct, need both special attention and close supervision and scrutiny.

4. The Vigilance Organisation of Departments will prepare a list of Public Servants of Gazetted Status against whom any disciplinary proceedings for a major penalty are in progress or who have been punished in disciplinary proceedings on a charge involving lack of integrity. A copy of these lists will be sent by the Department in respect of all Departments under them to the A.C.B. every year in the last week of February. As soon as adverse report against an Officer of the nature mentioned above is received, the Vigilance Officer should bring it to the notice of the Secretary / Head of the Department concerned immediately. A decision in regard to the inclusion of the name of such Officer in the list should be taken as soon as possible. The A.C.B. will suggest addition or deletion of names on the basis of information available with them and return the lists to Secretaries concerned, who would in tum furnish the list to the Heads of Department / Chief Executives of Public Enterprises. The purpose of maintenance of these lists is also to enable the Departments to take such administrative action as is necessary and feasible. The following courses of administrative action are open:

(i)      Withholding Certificate of Integrity,

 

(ii)     Transfer from a "sensitive" post.

 

(iii)    Non-promotion after consideration of his case, to a service, grade or post to which he is eligible for promotion.


(iv)  Compulsory Retirement in the public interest (otherwise than as penalty) in accordance with the orders issued by the Government. This is now permissible on completion of the age of 50 with certain exceptions.

 

(v)    Refusal of extension of service or re-employment either under Government or in Public Sector Undertakings.

 

(vi)    Non-sponsoring of names for foreign assignment / deputation.

 

(vii)  Refusal of permission for commercial re-employment after retirement.

        When the name of the Officer has been entered in the list, it will not be removed until a period of three years has elapsed. The period of 3 years for which the name will be current on the list will count from the date of punishment in the disciplinary proceedings or from the date of conviction in a Court Trial. On the conclusion of the period, the cases of such Officers may be reviewed by the Department in consultation with A.C.B. and if during the intervening period there has been no further complaint against the Officer touching on his integrity the name may be removed from the list, if at the time of review, it is proposed to continue the name of the Officer on the list, cogent reasons for doing so should exist. In the event of the Officer being transferred to another Department I Public Undertaking, the fact of the Officer's name being on the list undertaking should be furnished to the Department under copy to the A.C.B. List of such Officers considered by the A.C.B. will be circulated to the Departments once every year i.e., in June through the Secretaries to Government. It will be the duty of the Chief Vigilance Officer / Vigilance Officer of the Department / Public Sector Undertaking to maintain these lists up-to-date. This list will be treated as "SECRET" and the Secretary / Head of the Dept. / Chief Executives of Public Undertaking will be responsible for its safe custody.

Agreed Lists of Suspect Officers:

    These lists should include Officers of Gazetted Status against whose integrity, honesty there are complaints, doubt, or suspicion. Lists to be finalized by mutual discussion between the Department and the A.C.B. The following action will be taken in respect of Officers on these agreed lists by the Departments of the Public Undertakings and by the A.C.B.


(i)  Closer and more frequent scrutiny and inspection of their work and performance by the Departments concerned, particularly 1n spheres where there is scope for discretion or for showing favours.

 

(ii)     Quiet check about their reputation both by the Department and the A.C.B.

 

(iii)   Unobstructive watch of their contacts, style of living etc. by the A.C.B.

 

(iv)  Collection of information by the A.C.B. of specific instances of bribery and corrupt practices. 

5.       If these secret checks and enquiries reveal positive material, open enquiries will be initiated by the A.C.B. and further action taken in the light of the results of that enquiry and no adverse or punitive action is contemplated against any Officer on these lists unless these checks, verifications or enquiries bring forth adequate material to reasonably conclude that he is lacking in integrity. These · agreed lists will remain in force for one year from the date of preparation. At the end of this period, the list will be reviewed and the names of those Officers against whom there is no sufficient evidence to proceed against will be deleted from the list.

List of points or places of corruption;

(a) "Points" are those of items of work and those stages at which decisions are taken or orders are passed which provide scope for corruption namely, processing of tenders, appraising, grant of quota certificates etc.

 

(b) "Places" would be sections, sectors, units of an Office/ Department I Public Undertaking. It may be emphasized that these are not lists of all those points and places where there is scope or likelihood of corruption, but only of those where corruption is believed to exist in substantial measure. The preparation of these agreed lists of points and places of corruption must necessarily be done by those in the filed. The D.S.Ps of local branches of A.C.B. with the assistances of Bureau headquarters will settle and prepare these lists after discussion with the Heads of Departments or Public Undertakings concerned. The Departments and Public Undertakings-can contribute substantially in the preparation of these lists. They are likely to have much greater appreciation of the position in their units or sections and they are in the best position to compile or to assist in compiling these lists.

 After these lists are prepared, the following action should be taken by the Departments or Public Undertakings and by the A.C.B.

 

(i)   Closer and more frequent scrutiny and inspection by the Department or Public Undertaking of the work done at these points and places.

 

(ii)      Surprise checks by the Department or Public Undertaking.

 

(iii) Quiet and unobtrusive watch by the A.C.B. followed by raids as and when appropriate.

 

(iv)  Collection of information about specific instances of bribery and corrupt practices so as to initiate open enquiries.

 

List of unscrupulous contractors, suppliers and firms;

These lists are to be prepared by the Departments and Undertakings concerned as they are in best position to do so. They need not be "agreed" lists. Copies of these lists should be sent to the A.C.B. for its information. The A.C.B. on its part will pass on to the Departments, Undertakings concerned any information regarding corrupt practices of Contractors, Suppliers, Firms etc., for their information and for considering as to whether the name of such contractor should be brought on their lists. Particular care should be exercised in the preparation of these lists. Departments concerned should lay down the criteria on the basis of which names are to be included in these lists. In respect of Building Contractors, the Departments concerned should appoint a committee to lay down such criteria and the Committee's recommendations will be circulated to all Departments concerned.

The Director General, Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Departments should take the following action in respect of the Contractors etc. on these lists.


(i)   The lists should be circulated by the Departments I Undertakings to their Officers enjoining them to be careful and cautious in all dealings with such parties.

 

(ii)    Closer check and scrutiny by the Departments / Undertakings if the requests on applications, made by such parties and of the contracts for works or supplies awarded to, or executed by them and of any business or transaction, undertaken by them.

 

(iii)   Quiet and unobstructive watch should be kept by A.C.B. over the contracts or such parties in official circles.

 

(iv)   Collection of information by the A.C.B. of specific instances of malpractices on the part of such parties with a view to initiating open enquiries.


List of Unscrupulous Contact men:

The A.C.B. should prepare lists of unscrupulous contact men who are suspected of resorting to corrupt or irregular practices in their dealings with official agencies. The names of persons on these lists will be communicated by the A.C.B. to the Departments and Public Undertakings concerned. These lists may be compiled with the following objectives:


(a) The information contained in these lists will be utilized when considering cases for accrediting of representatives of firms etc. Normally such unscrupulous persons should not be accepted as accredited representatives.

(b) The Departments and Undertakings concerned will issue directions to their Officers to be careful and cautious in dealing with unscrupulous contact men whose names are on these lists. They should avoid associating with them socially and accepting entertainment and gifts from them.

(c) The A.C.B. will exercise an unobtrusive check on the activities of such contact men and try to collect information about specific instances of malpractices in which they are involved. 


6. All the Departments of Secretariat and Heads of Departments and the D.G., A.C.B. are requested to follow above instructions scrupulously. These instructions will come into force with immediate effect.


(By order and in the name of the Governor of Andhra Pradesh)

BINOY KUMAR
Secretary to Government (POLL) 

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