No action on last-minute graft complaints: CVC

No action will be taken on lastminute corruption complaints against bureaucrats when they are being considered for senior-level posts or promotions, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has said.

The announcement may come as a relief to bureaucrats, some of whom complain of a rise in motivated allegations of corruption against them ahead of a proposed promotion, empanelling or posting. The CVC provides vigilance clearance to central government officers for senior-level appointments and promotions.

Central Vigilance Commissioner K V Chowdary said any complaint received within six months of a proposed elevation or empanelment etc would not to be taken into account. "Generally there is a trend of complaints coming up just before somebody gets either promoted or is about to be considered for a post. By and large, it is there," Chowdary told PTI. However, he added a rider to the provision, saying "misconduct" would not be ignored. "If a misconduct itself is conducted, let's say, yesterday or the day before yesterday, you cannot be immune to that," he said. Chowdary had earlier advocated penal provisions to deter people from filing motivated or vexatious complaints. He said the time taken to provide a vigilance clearance to a government employee had been brought down from over three months to 3-5 weeks now.