Maintain 'Secret diary' on corrupt employees: Govt to officers

Supervisory officers have been asked to maintain a confidential diary to record instances of alleged corruption about their subordinates and details of action taken on them, the Centre has said.

The move follows as it has been noticed that reporting officers do not make clear and categorical mention about the integrity of their junior officer while filling Annual Performance Assessment Reports (APARs).

Further, it has also been seen that in case of doubt of integrity of the officer reported upon, the procedures prescribed for filling up the integrity column in APARs are not being followed appropriately, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.

Supervisory officers should maintain a confidential diary in which instances which create suspicion about the integrity of a subordinate should be noted from time to time and action to verify the truth of such suspicions should be taken expeditiously by making confidential enquiries departmentally or by referring the matter to the Special Police Establishment (CBI or Lokayukta), it said, reiterating 43-year-old instructions issued in this regard.

The move will help government take action against those who are corrupt or the non-performers ones.

"At the time of recording the annual confidential report, this diary should be consulted and the material in it utilised for filling the column about integrity," the DoPT said.

A copy of the secret note should be sent together with the character roll to the next superior officers who should ensure that the follow-up action is taken with due expedition, it said in an order issued recently to all ministries.

There are occasions when a reporting officer cannot in fairness to himself and to the officer reported upon, either certify integrity or make an adverse entry, or even be in possession of any information which would enable him to make a secret report to the head of the department.

"In all such cases, the reporting officer should make an entry in the integrity column to the effect that he has not watched the officer's work for sufficient time to be able to make any definite remark or that he has heard nothing against the officer's integrity as the case may be.

"This would be a factual statement to which there can be no objection. But it is necessary that a superior officer should make every effort to form a definite judgement about the integrity of those working under him, as early as possible, so that he may be able to make a positive statement," the DoPT said.

There may be cases in which after a secret report or note has been recorded expressing suspicion about an officer's integrity, the enquiries that follow do not disclose sufficient material to remove the suspicion or to confirm it.

In such a case the officer's conduct should be watched for a further period, and, in the meantime, he should, as far as practicable, be kept away from positions in which there are opportunities for indulging in corrupt practices, the DoPT said.

All officers have been told to make remarks against the integrity column of APARs of the officer reported upon in one of three options--Beyond doubt, Since the integrity of the officer is doubtful, a secret note is attached and Not watched the officer's work for sufficient time to form a definite judgement but nothing adverse has been reported to me about the officer.