Disciplinary and Vigilance Inquiries (Hota Committee) – Para 35 on conduct of hearings – Acceptance by Government

Recommendations of the Committee of Experts on Disciplinary & Vigilance Inquiries (Hota Committee) – Para 35 of the Committee’s Report on conduct of hearings on a day to day basis – Acceptance by Government – reg.

Central Government had appointed a Committee of Experts to review the procedure for Disciplinary/Vigilance Inquiries and recommend measures for their expeditious disposal. The Committee comprised the following:

(i) Shri P.C. Hota, Former Chairman, UPSC – Chairman
(ii) Shri Arvind Varma, Former Secretary, DoPT – Member
(iii) Shri P. Shankar, former CVC – Member.

2. The Expert Committee has, in para 35 of its Report, recommended that “as far as practicable, an Inquiry Officer should conduct the hearing on a day-to-day basis to complete the Inquiry expeditiously. Each Inquiry Officer should be required to maintain an order sheet to record proceedings of the inquiry on the day of Inquiry and other relevant matters. if the Inquiry cannot be conducted on a day-to-day basis, the Inquiry Officer should  record in the order sheet the reasons why the Inquiry could not be held on a day-to-day basis.”

3. The aforesaid recommendation of the I-iota Committee has been considered by a Committee of Secretaries (CoS) under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary and, as recommended by the CoS, the recommendation has been accepted by the Government.

4. Accordingly, it has been decided that once a regular hearing in a departmental proceeding is started, such bearing should, as far as practicable, be continued on a day to day basis, unless in the opinion of the TO, for the reasons to be recorded in writing, an adjournment is unavoidable in the interest of justice.

Download : OM of Disciplinary and Vigilance Para-35