It has come to the notice of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the cadre controlling authority of the Government of India, that Ministries refer the cases of alleged corruption against IAS officers when they are close to the date of superannuation. With a short time left for investigating such alleged cases, most of the tainted IAS offers manage to take retirement benefits and live a comfortable retired life. DoPT has taken a serious note of this situation. Therefore, it has issued instructions to the Ministries/Departments to conduct monthly review of the activities of IAS officers and submit the report to the Government. The concerned Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) acting as distant arm of Central Vigilance Commission for checking corruption in a Government organization of the ministries, will review all the cases relating to initiation of disciplinary proceedings against IAS. He will conduct this exercise on monthly basis, and the CVO will ensure that details of those likely to retire from service within next one year are highlighted in quarterly reports being sent to DoPT.
This is a welcome decision and certainly a step in the direction of controlling corruption among senior Government functionaries. The senior officers who are alleged to be involved in a case or cases of corruption, could use his official position to influence his colleagues and thus delay submission of report on their conduct to the authorities till he quit the office. Now this will not be possible because the CVO has to send in monthly report. We would recommend that the State Government also takes cue from the instructions of DoPT and on its own asks the concerned to conduct similar monthly reviews of senior officers particularly those who are to retire within a year or two. That would be a strong message to the errant officers that they cannot enjoy the retirement benefits and feel untouched for their corrupt practices. They should be made accountable.
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