Penalty Proceedings against Central Government Employees

Penalty Proceedings against Central Government Employees…

 

The below information is tabled to a question in Lok Sabha on 9th July 2014 by the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions as follows…

 

Article 311(1) of the Constitution provides that no person who is a member of the civil service of the Union or an all-India service or a civil service of a State or holds a civil post under the Union or a State shall be dismissed or removed by an authority subordinate to that by which he was appointed. Again as per Article 311(2) no such person as aforesaid shall be dismissed or removed or reduced in rank except after an inquiry in which he has been informed of the charges against him and given a reasonable opportunity of being heard in respect of those charges.

 

Disciplinary proceedings under the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965 [CCS(CCA)Rules, 1965] can be initiated against a Government Servant for violation of the provisions of the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964. The procedures for imposition of major penalties minor penalties are prescribed in the Rule 14 and Rule 16 of the [CCS(CCA)Rules, 1965], respectively. There are similar provisions in Rules governing the All India Services.

 

A list of Minor and Major penalties that may be imposed on a Government servant for good and sufficient reasons as provided in Rule 11 of CCS (CCA) Rules is annexed.

 

The data on cases registered involving major penalty proceedings and punishment awarded on conviction are not centrally maintained.

 

It is the endeavour of the Government to strengthen and streamline the institutional mechanism for disciplinary proceedings.

 

In order to check delays in completion of disciplinary proceedings, guidelines for monitoring and expeditious disposal of the disciplinary proceedings cases have been issued on 29th November, 2012.

 

ANNEXURE

PENALTIES SPECIFIED IN THE RULE 11 OF THE CENTRAL CIVIL SERVICES (CLASSIFICATION, CONTROL AND APPEAL) RULES, 1965.

 

MINOR PENALTIES

(i) Censure;

 

(ii) Withholding of his promotion;

 

(iii) Recovery from his pay of the whole or part of any pecuniary loss caused the Government by negligence or breach of orders;

 

(iii a) Reduction to a lower stage in the time-scale of pay by one stage for a period not exceeding three years, without cumulative effect and not adversely affecting his pension.

 

(iv) Withholding of increments of pay;

 

MAJOR PENALTIES

 

(v) Save as provided for in clause (iii) (a), reduction to a lower stage in the time-scale of pay for a specified period, with further directions as to whether or not the Government servant will earn increments of pay during the period of such reduction and whether on the expiry of such period, the reduction will or will not have the effect of postponing the future increments of his pay

 

(vi) reduction to lower time-scale of pay, grade, post or Service for a period to be specified in the order of penalty, which shall be a bar to the promotion of the Government servant during such specified period to the time-scale of pay, grade, post or Service from which he was reduced, with direction as to whether or not, on promotion on the expiry of the said specified period -

 

(a) the period of reduction to time-scale of pay, grade, post or service shall operate to postpone future increments of his pay, and if so, to what extent;

and

(b) the Government servant shall regain his original seniority in the higher time scale of pay , grade, post or service;

 

(vii) Compulsory retirement;

 

(viii) Removal from service which shall not be a disqualification for future employment under the Government;

 

(ix) Dismissal from service which shall ordinarily be a disqualification for future employment under the Government.

 

Provided that, in every case in which the charge of possession of assets disproportionate to known-source of income or the charge of acceptance from any person of any gratification, other than legal remuneration, as a motive or reward for doing or forbearing to do any official act is established, the penalty mentioned in clause 

 

(viii) or clause (ix) shall be imposed:

Provided further that in any exceptional case and for special reasons recorded in writing, any other penalty may be imposed.

Regulation of pay on imposition of a penalty under CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965

Regulation of pay on imposition of a penalty under CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965

No.6/3/2013-Estt (Pay-I)
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training

North Block, New Delhi
Dated the 6th February, 2014

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Regulation of pay on imposition of a penalty under CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965.

The undersigned is directed to say that the following penalties prescribed in the Rule 11 of CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965, have a bearing on the pay of the officer:

11. Penalties
Minor Penalties –
(iii a) reduction to a lower stage in the time-scale of pay by one stage for a period not exceeding three years, without cumulative effect and not adversely affecting his pension.

(iv) withholding of increments of pay;

Major Penalties –
(v) save as provided for in clause (iii) (a), reduction to a lower stage in the time- scale of pay for a specified period, with further directions as to whether or not the Government servant will earn increments of pay during the period of such reduction and whether on the expiry of such period, the reduction Will or will not have the effect of postponing the future increments of his pay

(vi) reduction to lower time-scale of pay, grade, post or Service for a period to be specified in the order of penalty, which shall be a bar to the promotion of the Government servant during such specified period to the time-scale of pay, grade, post or Service from which he was reduced, with direction as to whether or not, on promotion on the expiry of the said specified period –

(a) the period of reduction to time-scale of pay, grade, post or service shall operate to postpone future increments of his pay, and if so, to what extent; and

(b) the Government servant shall regain his original seniority in the higher time scale of pay , grade, post or service;

2. Consequent upon implementation of the recommendations of 6 th CPC under the CCS (RP) Rules, 2008 pay scale of a post/grade for below HAG level means the Pay Band and Grade Pay specified for that post. Under the CCS (RP) Rules, 2008 a Pay Band may cover Government servants in more than one Grade Pay or posts in the hierarchy. As per Rule 9 of the CCS (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008, the rate of increment in the revised pay structure is 3% of the sum of the pay in the Pay Band arid Grade Pay applicable, which is to be rounded off to the next multiple of 10. Further, as per Rule 10 of the CCS (Revised Pay) Rules, 2008, there is now a uniform date of increment, that is, l st July of the year.

3. The mode of implementation of these penalties has been clarified to individual Ministries/Departments wherever references have been received. It is now proposed to issue detailed guidelines on the issue. The regulation of pay on imposition of these penalties is in the subsequent paras:

A. Reduction to a lower stage of pay by one stage (Rule 11( iii ) all )
On imposition of a penalty under this Rule, the pay would be fixed at the next lower stage in the Pay Band. In other words, in case of reduction by one stage, the revised pay would be the pay drawn in the Pay Band at the stage before the last increment. Grade Pay attached to the post would remain unchanged. The pay will be fixed by reversing the mode of allowing increments given in Rule 9 of the CCS (RP) Rules, 2008. The formula would be:-

Reduced Pay In Pay Band = {(Pay in Pay Band+ Grade Pay) x 100/103} less (Grade Pay) (rounded off to next 10)

Pay would be Pay in Pay Band as above + Grade Pay

B. Withholding of increment {Rule 11(iv)}
As the uniform date of increment now is 1st July, on imposition of a penalty of withholding of increment, the increment(s) due on the 1st of July falling after the date of imposition of the penalty would be withheld. In case where penalty of withholding of more than one increment is imposed, increments due on 1st of July in the subsequent years would similarly be withheld. The increment would be restored at the end of the period for which the penalty is imposed.

This also applies to cases where the penalty is imposed for part of a year. For instance, if the penalty of withholding of the increment for six months is imposed on a Government servant in April 2013, then the increment falling due on 1.7.2013 will be withheld for a period of six months, that is, till 31.12.2013. The increment would be released w.e.f. 1.1.2014. In this case the next increment falling due on 1.7.2014 will also be allowed.

C. Reduction to a lower stage in the time-scale of pay for a specified period Rule 11(v)} The process of imposition of penalty of reduction by one stage under Rule 11(iii a) explained above shall be repeated for every additional stage of reduction by taking the pay arrived at notionally as pay for the second reduction, and so on. Grade Pay shall remain unchanged.

NOTE 1: It is not permissible to impose a penalty under this rule if the pay after imposition of the penalty would fall below the minimum of the Pay Band attached to the post.

NOTE 2: A Pay Band may cover Government servants in different Grade Pays or holding posts at several levels in the hierarchy. It needs to be kept in mind that reduction to lower pay scale or grade is a distinct penalty, under Rule 11(vi).Therefore, while imposing a penalty of reduction to a lower stage in the time-scale of pay under Rule 11(v) of the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965, Disciplinary Authorities should weigh all factors before deciding upon the quantum of penalty, i.e., the number of stages by which the pay is to be reduced.

D. Reduction to lower time-scale of pay under Rule 11(vi) As a result of imposition of a penalty of reduction to lower time-scale of pay, the pay of the Government servant would be reduced to the stage of pay he /she would have drawn had he/she continued in the lower post for the period of penalty. The mode of fixation of pay in this case is similar to reversing the mode of fixation of pay on promotion. Therefore, both pay in Pay Band and Grade Pay would be reduced.

However, Disciplinary Authority has the power, in terms of FR 28, to indicate the pay which the Government servant on whom a penalty of reduction in rank has been imposed, would draw. The Government servant will be entitled to the Grade Pay of the post to which he has been reduced. Thus, the power of the Disciplinary Authority under FR 28 is limited to indicating the pay in the Pay Band applicable to the lower rank/post.

In some cases imposition of a penalty under Rule 11(vi) may also involve a change in Pay Band. For instance a Government servant holding a post in PB-2 with Grade pay of Rs.4200/- may be reduced to a post in PB-1 with Grade Pay of Rs.2800/-

It may also be noted that a Government servant cannot be reduced in rank to a post not held earlier by him in the cadre. For example, an LDC who qualifies as Assistant as a Direct Recruit and is later promoted as Section Officer cannot be reduced to the rank of LDC but only to that of an Assistant.

4. Some illustrations on pay fixation in above types of cases are annexed.

sd/-
(Mukesh Chaturvedi)
Deputy Secretary to the Government of India

Click to view the illustrations...

Source: http://ccis.nic.in/WriteReadData/CircularPortal/D2/D02est/6_3_2013-Estt.Pay-I-06022014.pdf