Lok Sabha Question No. 4090 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-18
Subject: Accountability of Bureaucrats
Ministry: PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
Asked by: Maneka Sanjay Gandhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS (DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL & TRAINING)

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4090

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.03.2020)

## ACCOUNTABILITY OF BUREAUCRATS

## 4090. SHRIMATI MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken any steps for improving transparency, efficiency and accountability of bureaucrats;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  there  are  any  proposals  to  make  structural  changes  in  zero  tolerance  policy procedure for corruption in public institutions;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the  details  of  the  Government  employees  against  whom  action  has  been  taken  in  graft cases?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

(a) to (d):  The Central Government, in pursuance of its commitment to 'Zero Tolerance Against Corruption', has taken several measures to promote accountability and efficiency by encouraging  greater  transparency,  introducing  simplified  procedures  and  reducing  scope  for discretion and to combat corruption, which inter alia include:

- i. Systemic  improvements  and  reforms  to  provide  transparent  citizen-friendly  services  and reduce corruption. These, inter alia, include:
- a) Disbursement of welfare benefits directly to the citizens under various schemes of the Government in a transparent manner through the Direct Benefit Transfer initiative.
- b) Implementation of e-Tendering in public procurements.
- c) Introduction of e-Governance and simplification of procedure and systems.
- d) Introduction of Government procurement through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM).
- ii. Vigilance  clearance  is  being  denied  to  officers  who  do  not  file  Immovable  Property Returns (IPR) within the stipulated time;

- iii. Thirteen principles of ethics have been added to All India Service (Conduct) Rules, 1968
- iv. Discontinuation of interviews in recruitment of Group 'B' (Non-Gazetted) and Group 'C' posts in Government of India.
- v. Invocation of FR-56(j) and AIS(DCRB) Rules, 1958 for retiring officials from service in public interest whose performance has been reviewed and found unsatisfactory.
- vi. The  All  India  Services  (Disciplinary  and  Appeal)  Rules  and  Central  Civil  Services (Classification,  Control  and  Appeal)  Rules  have  been  amended  to  provide  for  specific timelines in the procedure related to disciplinary proceedings.
- vii. The  Prevention  of  Corruption  Act,  1988  has  been  amended  on  26.07.2018.  It  clearly criminalizes the act of giving bribe and will help check big ticket corruption by creating a vicarious liability in respect of senior management of commercial organizations.
- viii. Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), through various orders and circulars recommended adoption of Integrity Pact to all the organizations in major procurement activities and to ensure  effective  and  expeditious  investigation  wherever  any  irregularity/misconduct  is noticed.
- ix. The  institution  of  Lokpal  has  been  operationalised  by  appointment  of  Chairperson  and Members.  Lokpal  is  statutorily  mandated  to  directly  receive  and  process  complaints  as regards alleged offences against public servants under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

(e):   As per information received from the Central Bureau of Investigation, the details of number of trap cases registered against Government servants, and disposed of during the last three years and the current year are as follows:

| S. No.   |                                             |                                             | 2017 2018   |   2019 |   2020 (upto 29.2.2020) |
|----------|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|-------------|--------|-------------------------|
| 1        | No. of cases Registered 167                 | No. of cases Registered 167                 | 156         |    116 |                      13 |
| 2        | No. of cases Disposed of from investigation | No. of cases Disposed of from investigation | 164 141     |    136 |                       5 |
| 3        | No. of cases Disposed of from trial         | No. of cases Disposed of from trial         | 206 174     |    155 |                      30 |
| 4        | Modes of                                    | Conviction                                  | 125 99      |     93 |                      21 |
|          | Disposal                                    | Acquittal                                   | 72 61       |     49 |                       8 |
|          | (out of (3)                                 | Discharge                                   | 6 7         |     10 |                       1 |
|          | above)                                      | Otherwise                                   | 3 7         |      3 |                       0 |

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