Departmental inquiries to be held via video-conferencing

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 3

In view of the ongoing Covid pandemic, the Haryana Government has decided to conduct the ongoing departmental inquiries against state government employees through video-conferencing.

The office of the Chief Secretary today directed the administrative secretaries, DCs and all inquiry officers empanelled by the state government to resort to video-conferencing for the speedy disposal of such pending inquiries.

Currently, various departmental inquiries are being deferred since March 24, when the nationwide lockdown was imposed, as witnesses and the accused are unable to attend the inquiry committee proceedings physically due to the Covid threat.

Scores of departmental inquiries are pending against delinquent employees as the accused and witnesses are unable to travel to Chandigarh due to a variety of reasons. The state government has empanelled retired IAS and HCS officers, a majority of whom are based in Chandigarh and Panchkula, to conduct these inquiries.

Now, various departments, under which the inquiries are being conducted, will appoint coordinators to facilitate the appearance of the accused and the witnesses before the inquiry officer through video-conferencing.

The departments concerned will make suitable arrangements for conducting the inquiry proceedings through video-conferencing in consultation with the National Informatics Centre(NIC).

The order said the presiding officer of the Revenue Court may also conduct the court proceedings through video-conferencing. They will comply with the draft model rules “Rules for video-conferencing in courts” circulated by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to all districts and sessions judges in the state vide letter dated May 21, 2020.

Covid threat has stalled proceedings

Currently, various departmental inquiries are being deferred since March 24, when the nationwide lockdown was imposed, as witnesses and the accused are unable to attend the inquiry committee proceedings physically due to the Covid threat.