Inordinate delay invalidates action against Government employees

The Central Administrative Tribunal has ruled that the disciplinary proceedings against a government employee can be invalidated if there is "inordinate and unexplained" delay in initiating the same. The tribunal passed the order while deciding on a petition filed by P K Mathur, a retired superintendent engineer of CPWD. Mathur had challenged the departmental proceedings initiated against him by Government after a time gap of 13-years. The tribunal while quashing findings of the report ordered CPWD to stop the inquiry against Mathur. It also directed CPWD to provide all post-retirement consequential benefits to the petitioner. The officials of the Tribunal clarifying the grounds for quashing the order held that, "The inordinate and unexplained delay in issuing the charge memorandum, the non-supply of the most crucial piece of evidence, very slow progress of the inquiry and the tone and tenor of the inquiry officer's report, on balance, go against the government." - www.palaklotiya.blog.co.in