New Delhi, August 26

Keeping in view inordinate delay in deciding and finalising disciplinary actions against cadre officers, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued an order directing the country’s largest paramilitary force CRPF to take immediate action for incorporating the provisions of “Security Force Court” in the “Act and Rules” for expediting the process against Group ‘A’ personnel.

What MHA’s August 23 order says

• The Home Ministry order said ‘a large number’ of disciplinary action cases of officers in the CRPF pertained to “unauthorised absence or desertion” from duty and these were taking a long time to conclude.
• It said including the ‘security force court’ provisions by the CRPF will help in “initiating disciplinary action against the delinquent officers, so that such cases are finalised within minimum time”.

In the order titled “Disciplinary action against Group A officers of CRPF”, which the MHA had sent on Monday to the Inspector General (Personnel) of the force and Legal Officer of the Ministry, it underscored that the officers were governed by the provisions of Central Civil Service (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965. “It has been observed that the disciplinary cases being initiated against Group ‘A’ officers of the CRPF take a very long time to reach the finalisation and a large number of such cases pertain to unauthorised absence/desertion from duty,” the order read.

In forces like the BSF, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the ITBP, there is a provision for “Security Force Court” where disciplinary action is concluded in a short period of time. “Undue long time in finalisation of disciplinary cases in the CRPF has been viewed seriously by the competent authority,” the MHA said. — TNS