CHIEF MINISTER'S 'ACTION AGAINST CORRUPTION' INTENSIFIED

Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal has intensified the campaign of his mission 'Action Against Corruption'. As soon as he became Chief Minister in the year 2014, he has worked on the policy of 'zero tolerance' towards corruption with the aim of bringing transparency. He promoted digitization in various departments. From the application for the welfare schemes being implemented for the poor to the receipt of funds, all the processes have been made online.

From the very beginning, the Chief Minister has ordered to move the charge-sheeted employees and officers from the places of 'public dealing' and send them to the head-quarters so that the people of the state do not have to face problems due to corrupt officers and employees in their day-to-day activities.

Taking unwavering steps towards bringing quality in development works and transparency in the allocation of tenders, the Chief Minister directed all the departments to invite their tenders online by putting development works costing more than Rs 5 crore on the website. The impact of this move is clearly visible in the development works. This decision of the Chief Minister has also been appreciated at the national level. The state government is now also launching a portal for engineering related works, which is considered to be another step towards transparency.

Recently, the Chief Minister has taken two such decisions which will work to rein in the corrupt and lazy officers and employees. One of them is that the work record of the officers who have been sitting in the same post for years will be searched, which will decide the future of their remaining tenure. Investigating officers, who are shielding guilty officers, will be taken to task as well.

Recently, the Chief Minister has taken two such decisions which will work to rein in the corrupt and lazy officers and employees. One of them is that the work record of the officers who have been sitting in the same post for years will be searched, which will decide the future of their remaining tenure. Investigating officers, who are shielding guilty officers, will be taken to task as well.

Through the Chief Secretary, the Chief Minister directed to collect the records of such officers and employees who have been sitting in the head offices and field offices of various departments, boards and corporations for a long time in posts which are sensitive in nature.

On the directions of the Chief Minister, on behalf of the Chief Secretary, all the Administrative Secretaries have been directed to ensure that Heads of the Departments/Boards/Corporations of their respective departments immediately prepare the list of such 'sensitive posts' i.e. primarily those posts which involve public dealing, decision making involving financial implications, grant of licenses, making certificates, purchase of store-items etc. along with the names of officers/officials who have been posted on these sensitive posts continuously since more than three years and forward the same to the Chief Secretary by October 5, 2021.

The year 2021 is being celebrated by the Haryana Government as the 'Good Governance Result Year'. In such a situation, the 'results of good governance' are clearly visible in the working style of the Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal. Under the second important decision of the Chief Minister, those who deliberately delay the ongoing investigation against the employees and officers in various cases have also been put in the dock, and are being summoned. If the investigator is a retired officer, then the investigation will be taken from him and handed over to another officer.

The Chief Minister has issued directions through the Chief Secretary to all the Administrative Secretaries for disposal of disciplinary proceedings under Rule 7 of the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 2016.

When it came to the notice of the Chief Minister that there is inordinate delay in submission of inquiry reports by the Inquiry Officers in many cases of disciplinary proceedings under Rule 7, he took immediate action to ensure timely disposal of disciplinary cases.

Now the State Government has decided to ensure timely disposal of disciplinary cases, particularly pertaining to the Gazetted Officers of Group A & B, Government has decided that all Administrative Secretaries shall ensure that regular inquiries pending against Gazetted Officers are finalised before November 30, 2021. In such cases where an Inquiry Officer is unable to submit the inquiry report by November 30, 2021, the Administrative Secretaries concerned shall submit a report to the Chief Secretary to Government, Haryana (in General Services-I Branch) by December 7, 2021 mentioning the causes of delay in the finalization of disciplinary proceeding.

However, if the Administrative Secretary/Punishing Authority is of the view that there has been an unjustified delay by the Inquiry Officer in concluding the inquiry, he may initiate/propose deterrent disciplinary action against the Inquiry Officer (if he is in service) and reassign the Inquiry to some other Inquiry Officer (in case of Inquiry Officer being a retired govt. official). Not only this, the Chief Minister has also directed to review of the progress of disposal of regular inquiries under Rule 7 and B pending against the employees of Group C & D.

Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal, who is known as the epitome of simplicity in the political corridors for simple food and simple clothes, has consistently given respect to the hardworking employees of the state government and has also resolved many of their problems.

The Chief Minister has given clear directions in the interest of the employees that it should be ensured to give ACP pay scale to the government employees as per the rules within 3 months from the due date. He approved the long-pending demand of 'New Exgratia Scheme' of the employees. If a government employee dies before the age of 52 years, then his dependents are given compassionate employment.

However, while the Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal has made a policy to reward honest and hardworking employees, he has made preparations to teach a lesson by catching corrupt and tainted employees who are late in their work. It is believed that the Chief Minister is in no mood to spare the guilty officers and employees and this 'Action Against Corruption' campaign will continue even further.