JAMMU, Jun 3 (Agencies): The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed all the cadre segments not to sanction or release pensionary benefits of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, serving in the AGMUT cadre, without obtaining prior vigilance clearance from it (MHA), in all cases.
The direction has been issued through a communique to the Chief Secretaries of J&K; National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi; Arunachal Pradesh; Mizoram; Puducherry; Chandigarh; Andaman & Nicobar Islands; Ladakh; Goa and the Advisors to Administrators of Dadra Nagar Haveli & Daman Diu; Lakshadweep besides the Commissioner of Police, Delhi Police Headquarter.
The MHA has asked them to ensure strict adherence to the provisions of the AIS (DCRB) Rules, 1958.
It has also directed all segments to undertake pre-retirement verification of vigilance status of IAS and IPS officers serving in the AGMUT cadre from MHA in all cases, before release of pensionary benefits.
The direction, issued on May 7, 2027, came after noticing instances wherein “pensionary benefits in respect of All India Services (AIS) officers were sanctioned and released without complete verification of vigilance status, particularly in cases where the officers had served in multiple segments of the AGMUT cadre.”
In such cases, as per MHA communique, it has been observed that the segment disbursing the retirement benefits proceeded on the basis of local vigilance inputs, without verifying the vigilance status of the officer from the cadre-controlling authority i.e., MHA and has subsequently taken the position that the disciplinary proceedings or criminal cases instituted prior to the officer’s joining that segment were not within its knowledge at the relevant time.
“To ensure strict adherence to the provisions of the All India Services (Death Cum Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958 i.e., AIS (DCRB) Rules, 1958 and to obviate recurrence of such situations, it has been decided that all segments shall undertake pre-retirement verification of vigilance status of IAS and IPS officers serving in the AGMUT cadre from MHA in all cases and not sanction or release pensionary benefits without obtaining prior vigilance clearance,” it has been ordered.
It has been specified that the communique has been issued with the approval of the competent authority.