The Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964
No. 11013/08/2013-Estt.A-III
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pension
Department of Personnel & Training
(Establishment A-III Desk)
New Delhi, Dated the 6th June, 2013.
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
Subject: Representation from Government servant on service matters.
The undersigned is directed to refer to the Ministry of Home Affair's OM No. 118/52-Ests. dated the 30th April, 1952, OM No. 25/34/68-Estt.(A) dated the 20th December, 1968 and this Department's OM No. 11013/07/1999-Estt.(A) dated the 1st November, 1999 (copies enclosed for ready reference) on the above mentioned subject. This Department is receiving a number of representations, on service matters, addressed to the Prime Minister/ Minister/ Secretary (P) and other officers directly from the Government servants.
2. It has been envisaged in these instructions that whenever, in any matter connected with his service rights or conditions, a Government servant wishes to press a claim or to seek redress of a grievance, the proper course for him is to address his immediate official superior, or the Head of his office, or such other authority at the lowest level as is competent to deal with the matter. Of late, it is observed that there is an increasingtendency on the part of officers at different levels to by-pass the prescribed channels of representation and write directly to the high functionaries totally ignoring the prescribed channels. The problem is more acute in large Departments where often very junior employees at clerical level address multiple representations to the Minster, Prime Minister and other functionaries. Apart from individual representations, the service unions have also developed a tendency to write to the Ministers and Prime Minister on individual grievance. Some of these representations are often forwarded through Members of Parliament, in violation of Rule 20 of the CCS (Conduct) Rule, 1964.
3. Existing instructions clearly provide that representations on service matters should be forwarded through proper channel. The stage at which an advance copy of the representation may be sent to higher authorities has also been indicated. In MHA O.M. No. 25/34/68-Estt.(A) dated 20.12.68 time limits for disposal of various types of representations have been prescribed. If it is anticipated that an appeal or petition cannot be disposed of within a month of its submission an acknowledgement or interim reply should be sent to the individual within a month.
4. Thus adequate instructions are available in the matter of submission of representations by the Government servants and treatment of the representations by the authorities concerned. As such submission of representations directly to higher authorities by- passing the prescribed channel of communication, has to be viewed seriously and appropriate disciplinary action should be taken against those who violate these instructions as it can rightly be treated as an unbecoming conduct attracting the provisions of Rule 3 (1) (iii) of the CCS (Conduct) Rules, 1964.
5. It is again reiterated that these instructions may be brought to the notice of all Govt. servants and appropriate disciplinary action may be taken against those who violate these instructions.
(Y.K. Wadhwa)
Under Secretary to the Government of India