Punjab Chief Secretary focuses on preventive vigilance

Chandigarh, July 28, 2014: Punjab Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal today underlined the need for strengthening preventive vigilance and surveillance to check delays, which is normally the breeding ground of corruption at cutting edge level.Punjab Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal today underlined the need for strengthening preventive vigilance and surveillance to check delays, which is normally the breeding ground of corruption at cutting edge level.

Presiding over the first ever meeting of Chief Vigilance Officers of all the departments here today, the Chief Secretary said that it was imperative for CVOs to have a re look at procedures and practices that provide scope for harassment to citizens and suggest suitable steps to minimise delays at various levels.

Emphasising on fast track disposal of all enquiries, the Chief Secretary said that CVO was duty bound to ensure that charge sheets are drafted properly and issued expeditiously; and that there is no delay in appointing inquiry officers. He said that proper procedure has to be followed in disciplinary proceedings.

Expressing concern over delay in service delivery as against the deadlines imposed by Right to Service Act, the Chief Secretary said that CVO was duty bound to ensure that citizens are provided all services in the timeframe without any illegal intermediary.  He said that all the 129 services covered under Right to Service Act relating to civil administration and 20 by Police Saanjh Kendras have to be provided to the citizens in time bound manner. He said that to make the Public services time bound we would have to focus on back end computerization. Till then, CVOs will have to monitor disposal of references manually by the back-end manpower.

Underlining the need for responsive and sensitised administration at the grass root level, the Chief Secretary said that benefits due to the various sections of employees should automatically be initiated by the concerned section rather than waiting for employees to apply for those. He said that employees should not be expected to apply for seeking benefits for 4-9-14, annual increment, seniority finalisation, promotions, retirement dues  etc. and concerned section was duty bound to initiate such cases timely well in advance.

Emphasising the need for ensuring punctuality, the Chief Secretary said that CVOs were also duty bound to ensure the punctuality of employees in attending their offices. The failure of CVOs to ensure regularity and punctuality in offices will be seriously viewed by the government.

The Chief Secretary said that it was imperative for CVOs to strengthen internal departmental vigilance network and ensure timely delivery of public services. The CS emphasised that the honest and hard-working employees must be given outstanding reports and appreciation letters, but at the same time, they should also make a list of officers with doubtful integrity and keep a watch on their conduct.  He said that the process of compulsorily retiring such officers on periodic review of their services after completion of 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years of their services has to be meticulously followed by every department.