New Delhi: According to the new guidelines issued by the Personnel Ministry, those government officials who face criminal or corruption charges will not be allowed to obtain a passport. This will be done by denying them vigilance clearance for the grant of passport.

However, in some extreme urgent situation like a medical one, the authorities concerned can take a call for such officers to be allowed to take a foreign trip.

The vigilance clearance needed for granting passport can be withheld in case the officer is related in a trap or raid case over the charges of corruption and the investigation is in pending; an FIR has been filed or a case was registered by any government agency against the particular officer.

In some other cases like a charge sheet has been filed in a court by the investigating agency in any criminal case and the case is still pending;  a sanction for investigation or prosecution has been granted by the competent authority in a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act or any other criminal matter, and a charge sheet has been issued against the officer in a disciplinary proceeding and the proceeding is pending, it said.

“Vigilance clearance shall not be withheld due to an FIR filed on the basis of a private complaint unless a charge-sheet has been filed by the investigating agency provided that there are no directions to the contrary by a competent court of law,” the ministry said in the set of guidelines issued yesterday.

But the information regarding FIR may be availed to report it to the passport office, it said, adding that the final decision on the matter will be taken by the concerned passport issuing authority.

Civil services officers in India need to get vigilance clearance for obtaining Indian passport.

“There may be situations wherein wards and relatives of the civil servants residing abroad (for education and other purposes) could be having medical emergencies or family events. The officer himself/ herself may require to visit abroad for medical reasons.”

“Therefore, as a policy, ordinarily, a passport will not be granted if a disciplinary proceeding is pending against the officer. However, the competent authority can take a view wherein a foreign travel is necessitated due to extreme urgent situation like medical emergencies etc. on case to case basis,” the ministry said in an order statement issued to secretaries of all central government departments.

With the center tightening its stance towards bureaucrats, it may act as deterrence for the ones who are part of ongoing scams or are helping such scams to happen. For once caught in a situation, it may be helpless for them to obtain a clearance certificate from the Vigilance department.

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