1. Who shall be the Disciplinary authority? What are the specific conditions?
It is the rank of the Appointing authority that is important, not the Designation.
·
SSPOs in Junior Time Scale and in Senior Timescale, though both known as
Sr. Supdts. by designation, are different in rank.
·
If an official is appointed by a Supdt of Post Offices, who is in Group
B, but confirmed in the post by a Sr.Supdt of Post Offices in Group A Senior
Timescale, only a Group A Senior Time scale officer can impose one of the major
penalties on him.
·
An Appellate authority or an authority higher than the Appointing
authority cannot exercise any concurrent original disciplinary jurisdiction,
ie, cannot initiate disciplinary action against a Government servant.
·
Such authorities are also forbidden to issue any direction in regard to
the penalty to be imposed.
· The President can impose any of the penalties on any Government servant.
2. Whether the records sought for shall be given to the charged official under Rule 16?
·
Normally no records are made available to the Government servant for
inspection (if there is no inquiry).
·
But if the Government servant makes a specific request for permitting him
to inspect the relevant records, the Disciplinary authority may grant such
permission.
3. Whether Inquiry can be sought for in Rule 16 cases for imposing minor penalty?
· Inquiry under Rule 16(1)(b) is obligatory if it is proposed
·
(1) to withhold increments of pay which is likely to affect adversely the
amount of pension payable to the Government servant, or
·
(2) to withhold increments of pay for a period exceeding 3 years, or
·
(3) to withhold increments of pay with cumulative effect for any period.
·
The accused Government servant can request for an inquiry and the
Disciplinary authority may grant the request.
·
If the request is not considered, the Disciplinary should record reasons
for such a decision, and communicate them to the Government servant.
·
After an inquiry under Rule 16(1)(b), the Disciplinary authority can
impose only one of the minor penalties.
4. Whether the Defence assistant can be a legal practitioner?
· If the Presenting Officer is a legal practitioner, the Government Servant (GS) may also engage a legal practitioner.
·
In special
circumstances, considering the complex nature of the case, the Disciplinary
authority can allow the GS to engage a legal practitioner.
· If the presenting officer is from the CBI, there is sufficient reason to allow the GS to engage a legal practitioner.
5.
What are the
conditions to engage a defence assistant?
·
The Government Servant
does not have to get permission from the Disciplinary authority to engage an
Assisting Government Servant (AGS).
·
But the AGS should
obtain the permission of his controlling authority before agreeing to assist
the GS.
·
An AGS can take up at
a time only 3 disciplinary cases for giving assistance.
·
A retired Government
servant can also work as AGS. He can take up 5 cases at a time.
·
A GS who is under
suspension can function as AGS for another GS.
·
A retired GS can
function as AGS under the following conditions:
o
he should have retired
from service under the Central Government
o
if he is a legal
practitioner, the restrictions on engaging a legal practitioner by the accused
GS will apply
o
he should not have
been associated with the case in his official capacity when he was in service
o
he should not have
more than 5 cases on hand. – Kayveeyes--
Thq
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