Vigilance clearance made mandatory for J-K employees seeking passport

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has made vigilance clearance mandatory for its employees who are seeking a passport.

The general administration department in a circular issued on Thursday has asked all administrative secretaries and heads of departments to issue a no-objection certificate to employees seeking a passport only after getting a vigilance clearance in this respect.

The circular was issued in line with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Personnel, government of India, in February last year for those employees who wish to seek a passport.

According to those guidelines, it was made mandatory to seek fresh vigilance clearance for issuance of a passport by the Ministry of External Affairs.

The anti-corruption bureau of Jammu and Kashmir had also sounded the administration that the existing mechanism provided for the issuance of a passport even to those employees against whom vigilance cases were registered.

"Thus, there is urgent necessity to instruct all administrative departments to issue NOC for issuance of passport only on the basis of vigilance clearance," the circular said.