Haryana Government Strengthens Vigilance Department with Appointments of Chief Vigilance Officers

The Haryana Government has appointed serving and retired officers to the post of Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) in the Vigilance Department, Haryana on deputation and contract basis, respectively. Serving officers appointed to the position of Chief Vigilance Officer include Sh. Deepak Burua, District Attorney (DA), HRD, Haryana Civil Secretariat, Sh. Dinesh Rathee, S.E. Irrigation & Water Resources Department and Sh. Krishan Kumar, Joint Director, Technical Education while retired officers includes Sh. Jarnail Singh Boparai, Group Captain (Retd), Indian Air Force, Mahavir Singh, GM-cum-CVO(Retd), HSIIDC, Rajender Kumar Malik, Inspector General (Retd),HAG, Shashi Kant Sharma, Additional Director (Retd), Prosecution, Rameshwar Mehra, Additional Excise & Taxation Commissioner (Retd), Sanjiv Kumar Jain, DA(Retd), Prosecution Department., Satish Kumar Jain, HCS (Retd) and Ashok Kumar Sharma, IAS (Retd), MD, HSWC. A circular issued in this regard by Haryana Chief Secretary, Sanjeev Kaushal states that the CVO will be head of the vigilance division of an organization and act as a special assistant/advisor to the Administrative Secretary/Head of Department on all vigilance matters. The multifaceted role involves preventive vigilance functions, aiming to thwart corrupt practices by identifying potential corruption spots and sources. The CVO engages in intelligence collection related to corruption, sensitizing stakeholders, and promoting awareness against corrupt practices. Moreover, punitive vigilance, including spot inquiry and investigation into corruption allegations, is conducted, with reports submitted for the consideration of the disciplinary authority concerned.
CVOs will play a pivotal role in establishing and maintaining a robust whistle-blower mechanism. This involves the creation and implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) meticulously designed for gathering information from the general public. These procedures must adhere rigorously to the guidelines outlined by the Haryana Government, particularly concerning the handling of anonymous or pseudonymous complaints.
Mandated with ensuring the integrity of ongoing projects, CVOs has been directed to conduct thorough scrutiny inspections and surprise checks within the concerned Department/Board/Corporation. Special attention is to be given towards areas prone to discretion or favoritism, such as the awarding of tenders, the progression of civil works, and instances of potential abuse of discretionary powers in decision-making processes. Following these assessments, CVOs are required to submit detailed findings, accompanied by recommendations for rectifying identified irregularities, to the Administrative Secretary/Head of the Department. Furthermore, copies of these recommendations are to be endorsed and forwarded to both the Chief Secretary, Haryana, and the Special Secretary, Vigilance Department.
The responsibility of closely monitoring all cases requiring prosecution sanction falls under the purview of CVOs. This encompasses ensuring that decisions are reached in a timely and judicious manner, maintaining the integrity of the overall vigilance process.
CVOs will bear the responsibility of overseeing disciplinary proceedings at all stages, with a particular emphasis on strict adherence to rules and time limits. Regular updates on the progress of departmental inquiries, initiated based on Anti-Corruption Bureau recommendations, must be communicated to the Vigilance Department, along with detailed reports on decisions reached. Monthly updates on the list of pending disciplinary cases are to be submitted to the Administrative Secretary/Head of Department for comprehensive review. In a proactive stance, CVOs are expected to prevent the lapse of cases involving public servants approaching retirement, addressing potential time constraints, and mitigating issues such as delays or laxity in processing vigilance cases, including file misplacement. Additionally, CVOs must ensure the swift and effective implementation of orders in cases involving retiring officers, adhering to established rules and procedures.
The Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) has been entrusted with the meticulous scrutiny of reports from various sources, including those from Internal auditors, Statutory auditors, and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). The primary objective is to identify instances of misappropriation of funds and financial irregularities. Upon such identification, the CVO is authorized to initiate further inquiries or investigations, subject to the approval of the Administrative Secretary/Head of Department (HoD), to determine and assign responsibilities.