Kumar Sanjay Krishna wants timely framing of charges against employees under suspension

‘Secretaries will be held responsible for charge sheet delay’

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: State Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna has noticed serious lapses on the part of the departmental heads in framing charges against employees placed under suspension. He has asked all senior most secretaries not to make a mess of suspension but to take all follow-up actions against suspended officials on time, and justify if the suspension of any employee is to be extended.

According to the office memorandum of the State government and a directive of the Supreme Court of India, charges have to be framed against an official within three months of placing him/her under suspension and submitted to the authority. However, this is often blatantly violated in the State government due to the laxity of a section of disciplinary authorities.

Taking the matter seriously, the Chief Secretary has directed all senior most secretaries of various departments to ensure that charge sheets of officials placed under suspension are submitted within three months from the dates of their suspension. He has further told the senior-most secretaries that in the event of charge sheets against suspended officials are not submitted within the stipulated three-month time, they will be held responsible for that.

Worried over the current situation regarding the suspension of employees, the Chief Secretary said, “Secretaries or officers proposing for suspension on an employee shall also ensure that the charges are framed and submitted to the disciplinary authority within two weeks from the date of passing order of suspension. After framing the charges the senior-most secretaries shall undertake a review within six months as regards to the desirability to further continue with the suspension order.”

The Chief Secretary has instructed all departments to give details about suspension order to the Personnel Department so as to let it review and take action.

All that is happening in the State government regarding suspension is beyond any rules. Charges are not framed against officials placed under suspension even for a year. Sometimes, officials placed under suspension are reinstated without even charges framed against them.

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