"onJotti"g

consideration of the Deparil""'"ft ^{mt now been decided that panels of} -retired _;fii;";t"r" the MinislieJDepartrnents ^{under Government of lndia and PSUs} _would be created andlnuinlin"i by ^{the respective} _lfre ^{Controlling Authorities} _for conducting Departmental Inquiiies ^{against the delinquent officials'}

-

_{2. Procedure for empanetment of ^{retired oflicers as the Inquiry offrcers}}

_{Panels of retired officers not itto* the} rank of Deputy Secretary^in Central

"nt*"

4. Following are the eligibility ^{conditions for appointment of willing retirec} _{officers as the Inquiry} Offrcers to conduct departmental inquiries:

(i) The retired offrcers willing to serve ^{as the. Inquiry offrcer should not_ be _{more than 65 years of age as on the I't April of the year of his/her}}

empanelment.(iD He/she should be in sound health -both physically and mentally'

(iii) He/she should not be an accused oflicer in any pending inquiry and shculd be of impeccable integrity.

1. The respective Cadre Controlling Authority will immediately take necessary action for inviting applications from willing and eligible retired oflicers to serve as the Inquiry Officer for conducting departmental inquiry. In this regard' a format for inviting applications is armexed.
   
   
2. A three-member committee consisting of Joint Secretary level officers including CVO of the concemed Ministry/Departments/PSUs would be constituted by the respective cadre contolling authority. The other two members can be from the same Ministry/Department or from the attached or subordinate oIfice. After receipt of willingness of the retired ofticers, names of the offrcers will be screened by the committee so constituted and panel of officers (Database) will be created rank-wise viz., Deputy Secretary, Director, Joint Secretary, Additional Secretary, Secretary, etc. Approval of Minister-in-charge may be solicited for making the panel of the oflicers. Appointment of Inquiry Officer, tom the panel of eligible retired officers, will be done by a random draw of lot. The Committee constituted for making panels of retired officers as the lnquiry Officer has to keep in mind that applications of retired ofiicers willing to serve as an Inquiry Officer should be scrutinized carefully to ensure that the applicant meets the eligibility criteria.
   
   

7 . The number of disciplinary cases assigned to an lnquiry Officer may be restricted to 20 cases in a year, with not more than 4 cases at a time.

8. Terms and conditions for appointment of retired officers as the Inquiry Oflicer.

The designated Inquiry Ofiicer shall require to give an undertaking as follows:

(i) that he/she is not a witness or a complainant in the matter to be inquired into or a close relative or a known friend of the delinquent Govemment offrcer.

(iD shall maintain strict secrecy in relation to the documents he/she receives or informatior/data collected by him/her in connection with the inquiry and utilize the same only for the purpose of inquiry in the case entrusted to him/tter.

9. No such documents/information or data shall be divulged to anyone during the Inquiry or after presentation of the Inquiry Report. All the records, reports etc. available with the Inquiry Officer shall be duly returned to the authority which _appointed him/trer as such, at the time of presentation of the Inquiry Report.

_{lO. The tnquiry Oflicer shall conduct the inquiry proceedings in the ofticial premises provided by the Department/Or ganizaliorv which engages him/her.}

_ll. 'fhe Inquiry Officer shall undertake travel for conducting inquiry (in unavoidable circumstances) with the approval of the Disciplinary ^Authority'

12. The Inquiry Offrcer shall submit the inquiry report after completing the inquiry within ninety days from the date of hiVher appointncent as the lnquiry OfIicer. Extension of time beyond ninety days can be granted only _{by the Disciplinary Authority.}

13, The rates ofhonorarium and other allowances payable to the Inquiry Offrcer will be as under:-

ParticularVDetails Rate per case (in Rupees)

Items Category Time taken to Dy. Joint complete the SecretarylDirector Secretary inquiry and above

proceedings Honorarium 'I' Within 45 days Rs. 60000 Rs.75000

.II'

Within 90 days Rs.40000 Rs. 50000

'ilI Beyond 90 days Rs. 30000 Rs. 40000 Transport Rs.40000/-per case. Allowance Secretarial Rs.30000 per case if no secretarial assistance is Assistance provided by the Ministry/Depaxtment concemed

Payment will be made to the Inquiry Officer only when the report is accepted by the Disciplinary Authority. In case it is not possible to proceed with the matter due to stay by courts etc., the tnquiry Officer may be discharged from hiVtrer duties and payment of honorarium and other allowances will be made on pro rata basis,

14. Before the payment is received by the Inquiry Ofticer, it will be hislher responsibility to ensure thxt:

(a)

All case records and inquiry report (two ink signed copies) properly documented and arranged is handed over to the Disciplinary Authority.

(b)

The report retums findings on each of the Articles of Charge which has been enquired into should specifically deal and address each of the procedural objections, ifany, raised by the charged officers as per the extant rules and instructions.

(c)

There should not be any ambiguity in the inquiry report and therefore every care should be taken to ensure that all procedures for conducting departmental inquiries have been followed in accordance with the relevant rules/instructions of disciplinary and appeal Rules to which the delinquent Govemment ofiicials are ^govemed.

Lettr regarding engagirg a retired _{officer as the Inquiry officer will only}