NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, APR 5
The CVC has asked all central government departments to transfer the staff who have completed more than five years in vigilance units at same place, asserting that undue long stay of an official in a sensitive post at one place has the potential of developing vested interests.
In an order issued on Monday, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) said it has already identified posting in vigilance units/departments as “sensitive posting”.
“It has been observed that undue long stay of an official in such a sensitive post at one place, has the potential of developing vested interests, apart from giving rise to unnecessary complaints/ allegations etc,” the probity watchdog said in its order issued to secretaries of all central government departments and chief executives of public sector banks among others.
In order to emphasise the importance of the issue and to ensure transparency, objectivity, and uniformity in approach, the Commission has decided to modify its earlier guidelines and said that “the tenure of personnel in vigilance unit at one place including PS/PA and lower level functionaries, should be limited to three years only”.
“Such personnel who have completed three years in vigilance units can be given another tenure of three years in vigilance unit, in continuation of earlier tenure, but at a different place of posting,” said the CVC order issued to the chief executives of public sector insurance companies as well.
It would mean that the personnel can have two continuous postings in vigilance units, at two different places of posting, each running into a maximum of three years, it said.
“In case of personnel presently working in vigilance units of the organisations concerned, who have worked for more than three years, the exercise of transferring them out of the present place of posting may be started in phases, with priority to be given to shift/transfer personnel who have served for the maximum period in vigilance unit,” the order said.
“The personnel, who have completed more than five years in vigilance units at same place, should be shifted on top priority basis,” it said.
In the first phase, at least 10% of the persons (minimum of one person), who have worked beyond three years, should be shifted in sequential order, without exception, i.e., on the basis of first come first go principle, the CVC said.
In case a personnel has served at one place in vigilance unit for more than three years, his tenure at the next place (if posted in vigilance unit) may be curtailed to ensure that the combined tenure at two places is limited to six years only, it said.
“After transfer from vigilance unit, a compulsory cooling off period of three years should be observed before a person can be considered again for posting in vigilance unit of the organisation concerned,” the order said.
The first phase of transfer/posting of minimum of 10% of the personnel may be completed by May 31, 2021, it said.
Further, it may be ensured that the exercise of transferring all the personnel who have worked for more than 3 years at one place is completed by June 30, 2022, the CVC order said.
The guidelines in view of COVID-19 pandemic has to be kept in view while effecting transfers/postings, it added.
