Single-window system launched for handling bureaucrats' graft cases

The (DoPT) has also come up with a checklist for authorities handling corruption cases that involves bureaucrats

A single-window clearance system has been started by the government to avoid inordinate delays in dealing with corruption cases related to Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has also come up with a checklist for authorities handling corruption cases involving bureaucrats and sought mandatory compliance with the same as part of the new system.

"Such delays are mainly attributed to documentary and procedural deficiencies and a lot of time is consumed in avoidable protracted correspondence with the state government or the ministries concerned (over these)," DoPT said in a recent order.

It has, therefore, been decided that checklists would be introduced for the submission of disciplinary cases against IAS officers with the requisite case records to be checked against these through a single window system in DoPT, the order said. The checklist shall be certified by an officer not below the rank of secretary in the state government and joint secretary at the Union level for cases involving central government officials.

The ministries or state governments will be required to depute an officer not below the rank of under secretary to submit with DoPT the records of disciplinary cases as required by the checklist, the order said.

"Only such case records as are found complete in all respects shall be accepted for processing. Cases found wanting vis-a-vis the mandated checklist will be sent back and they would not be deemed to have been received until (submitted) in complete form," the order said, seeking "strict compliance" by all.

As many as 4,737 IAS officers occupy various state and central posts in the country.

Inordinate and inexplicable delays in the conduct of disciplinary proceedings are seen to vitiate the exercise, sometimes leading to litigation.