CVC rescinds order on hiring retired officials

New Delhi, February 16

Withdrawing its earlier order against hiring retired government employees for investigating corruption cases, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) said it had sent “misapprehension in certain quarters”.

In its order dated January 13, 2023, the CVC had asked public sector banks, insurance companies and central government departments not to engage retired employees for investigating corruption cases.

This came after it was noticed that some organisations had appointed retired employees as investigating officers, contrary to its nearly two-decade-old directive in this regard.

The CVC has now issued a fresh circular dated February 15, 2023, saying: “It has been brought to the Commission’s notice that this circular has raised misapprehension in certain quarters regarding appointment of retired officials to conduct departmental inquiries. The matter has been examined and the circular is withdrawn.”

Last month, the CVC had said it was important that Vigilance functionaries were made accountable and subjected to disciplinary action, “if found to have compromised confidentiality, objectivity or integrity in the discharge of duties assigned to them.” This was not applicable to retired officials as conduct and disciplinary rules did not apply to them for any post-retirement misconduct, it had said.