Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 02 2009:
The State Cabinet, after a minute discussion, has decided to seek the opinion of the Accountant General to put in place an effective mechanism so that prompt action may be initiated against Ministers, MLAs and officials under the Manipur Public Servant Personal Liability Act 2005 in the event of making faulty appointments or misuse of funds.
A Cabinet meeting held on June 29 with the Chief Minister in the chair referred its decision to the Accountant General to find out the legal provisions under which actions may be initiated against a public servant found guilty under the Manipur Public Servant Personal Liability Act.
The Act was passed by the Assembly to check corruption, financial indiscipline, discrepancy in contract and supply works and faulty appointments.
The proposal to seek the advice of the AG was put up by the Finance Department during the Cabinet meeting of June 29 .
Under the same Manipur Public Servant Personal Liability Act, a high power committee headed by the Chief Secretary as Chairman exposed several cases of fake appointments in Veterinary, Power, Works, Education, Fishery, Revenue and other departments.
In majority of these cases, the accused officials contended that the faulty appointments were made under instructions from Ministers.
Subsequently, the high-power committee highlighted some of these fake appointment cases to the CM.
The Manipur Public Servant Personal Liability Act includes a clause which stipulates that salaries of employees recruited through underhand means or without sanction should be paid by the officials who made the faulty appointments.
Another clause to hold retired officials accountable for misappropriation of fund during their service period if the same is detected by an enquiry committee later on has also been incorporated into the Act regardless of whether the faulty activities were committed before the Act came into force.