The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has directed all the Ministries and departments to finalise disciplinary proceedings within the stipulated time, as the government has to otherwise pay subsistence allowance to suspended employees without extracting work from them.
The DoPT pointed out that if, on the culmination of the disciplinary proceedings, an officer is exonerated, the government has to unnecessarily pay full salary and treat the period of suspension as “on duty.”
“It is, therefore, desirable that a timely review of suspension is conducted in a just and proper manner and that the disciplinary proceedings are finalised expeditiously,” it said.
According to the rule, a government servant may be placed under suspension when a disciplinary proceeding against him is contemplated or is pending; or when, in the opinion of the authorities concerned, he has engaged himself in activities prejudicial to national security; or when a case of criminal offence is pending against him.
The government has also devised a set of guidelines on other circumstances mandating suspension.
In another order, the DoPT has instructed that in disciplinary cases, where the Union Public Service Commission is to be consulted, the Disciplinary Authority (DA) has to forward a copy of the report of the inquiring authority to the Commission, together with its own tentative reasons for disagreement, if any, with the findings.
The DA is also required to forward comments on the representation of the government servant on the inquiry report and disagreement note, if any, with all the case records of the inquiry proceedings.
On receipt of the UPSC advice, the DA will forward a copy to the government servant seeking his written representation within 15 days. The DA will consider such representation and take necessary action.
In matters of appeal, revision or review, a copy of the advice of the UPSC, if consulted, has to be provided to the government servant and his representation sought before passing the final orders.
