PUNJAB asks all departments to expedite sanction for prosecution to Vigilance

Chandigah, August 1, 2013: The Punjab Government has issued directions to all departments to expedite sanctions for prosecutions sought by Vigilance Department in various cases and ensure the compliance of this order within 20 days. The Departments have been also directed not to launch parallel administrative enquiries wherever the enquiry of vigilance was on as per the direction of Supreme Court.

A spokesman of the Punjab Government said that Under Secretary Vigilance has reiterated the instructions under which Vigilance Bureau has to complete the enquiry within 3 months and send the reports to concerned administrative departments seeking grant of sanction for prosecution. The

competitive authority is supposed to take a decision on sanction for prosecution relying on the record available with the investigating officer.

The Departments are supposed to place the matter before respective committee wherever there was delay for granting sanction and Vigilance Bureau was supposed to monitor the delay.

The government has also brought to the notice of various departments the directions of Supreme Court on the practice of parallel enquiries launched by various departments just to deny sanction for prosecution. The spokesman said that Supreme Court had clearly directed that grant of sanction was

only administrative function where the evidence collected during the investigation has to be placed before competent authority which is then to prima facie satisfy itself as to whether or not the relevant facts constitutes an offence. He said that Apex Court has observed that in view of the matter there is no occasion for launching of parallel departmental enquiries or for granting personal hearing before the competent authority reaches its conclusion. He said that the Supreme Court had directed that

such practices needed to be dispensed with in order to ensure early decision on cases where sanction for prosecution has been sought by the vigilance bureau.

The Spokesman said that directions have been issued to all departments to ensure grant of sanction for prosecution in all pending cases as per the directions of the Supreme Court.