F,No.

104 76/2011-AVD-I
Government of India
Minis of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training

New Delhi, dated the 08th October, 2018

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Guidelines regarding handling of complaints in Ministries/

Departments.

The undersigned is directed to say that instructions regarding

dealing with anonymous and pseudonymous complaints were issued vide
this Department's Office Memorandum of even number dated 18.10,2013
prescribing that no action is required to be taken on anonymous
complaints, irrespective of the nature of the allegations and that such
complaints need to be simply filed. Subsequently, the said Office
Memorandum has been clarified vide Office Memorandums of even
number dated 18.06.2014 and 31.03.2015. In this regard, the Central
Vigilance Commission's Circular No.07/11/2014 dated 25.11,2014 may
also be referred to. A copy each of the DOP&T's aforesaid Office
Memorandums and CVC's Circular are enclosed herewith.

2. The instructions contained therein are reiterated and all

Ministries/Departments are requested to follow the same while handling
complaints received in their respective Ministry/Department.

Encl: as above.

(K:O.Raju)
Under Secretary to the Government of India
Tele. No. 23094799
To,

1. All Ministries/Departments as per standard circulation list.

2. Secretary, Central Vigilance Commission.
3, Department of Public Enterprises.
4. All Desks/ Sections of DoP&T.
5. Guard File.
DoP&T Cell for placing a copy of this OM on the website of the
Ministry.
 Nc.104/76/20 i I -AVD.I
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel & Public Grievances & Pensions
(Department of Personnel 82; Training)

New Delhi, Dated October 18, 2013

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

of complaints in
Subject:- Guidelines ' regarding handling
Ministries/ Departments.

The undersigned is directed to say that the instructions regarding

dealing with anonymous and pseudonymous complaints as contained in this
Department's OM No. 321/4/91-AVD,III, dated 29th September, 1992 and as
reiterated vide DOP&T's OM No. 371/38/97-AVD.III, dated 3/11/1997,
being at variance with instructions issued by CVC in this regard vide
curcular No.3(V)/99/2 dated 29th June, 1999, No. 98/DSP/9, dated 31st
January, 2002 and 1 lth October, 2002, had been receiving the attention of
the Government for the past some time.

1 The matter was examined afresh in consultation with the Central

Vigilance Commission. Subsequent to the Public Interest Disclosure &
Protection of Informers' Resolution - 2004 (PIDPI), the Commission has
created a mechanism for handling complaints where identity of the
complainant is kept secret and the complainant is provided protection. This
has been endorsed and operationalized by the Central Government with the
approval of the competent authority.

In view of the fact that complainants who desire to protect their

3.
identity now have the protection of the Public Interest Disclosure &
Protection of Informers' Resolution - 2004 (PIDPI), the following procedure is
laid down for handling anonymous and pseudonymous complaints, in
supersession of instructions contained in DoP&T's OM No. 321/4/91-
AVD.III dated 29th September, 1992:

No action is required to be taken on anonymous complaints,

(i)
irrespective of the nature of allegations and such complaints need to
be simply filed.

Complaints containing vague allegations could also be filed without

(ii)
verification of identity of the complainant.
 (iii) It a complain contains verifiable alicgaions, the administrative
IvEnistry/ Department may take cognizance of such complaint with
the approval of the competent authority to be designated by the
Ministry/Department as per their distribution of work. In such cases,
the complaint will be first sent to the complainant for
owning/disowning, as the case may be. If no response is received from
the complainant within 15 days of sending the complaint, a reminder
will be sent. After waiting for 15 days after sending the reminder, if
still nothing is heard, the said complaint may be filed as
pseudonymous by the Ministry/Department.

4. Instructions contained in para-3 above would also be applicable (with

appropriate competent authority to be designated under para 3 (iii) above)
for dealing with complaints against Secretaries to the Government of India
or Chief Executives / CMDs / Functional Director of PSEs/PSE3s/F1s, which
will continue to be referred to the Cabinet Secretariat for placing before the
Group of Secretaries headed by the Cabinet. Secretary/Secretary (Co-
ordination) in the Cabinet Secretariat, as the case may be, as per procedure
given in Department's OM No. 104/100/ 2009-AVD.I, dated 14/1/2010 and
DPE's GM No. 15(1)/ 2010-DPE(GM), dated 11/3/2010, as amended from
time to time.

1.,AA

G. Srinivasa'n )
Under Secretary to the Government of India

To,

1. All Ministries/Departments as per standard circulation list

2. Secretary, Central Vigilance Commission
3. Department of Public Enterprises
4. All Desks/Sections of DOP&T

7 7"Guard File
6. NIC, DOP&T Cell for placing a copy of this OM on the website of the
Ministry.
 No. 10,4 / 76 / 20 --AVD .
Government 61
istry of Personnti, Public Grievances & Pension
Department of Personnel &, Training

Nevi Delhi , the Wane, 2014.

Office Memorandum

laiect:- Guidelines regarding handling of coniplaints in

Ministries/Departments.

The undersigned is directed to refer to this Departm. ent's 0.M. of

even number dated 18.10.2013 on the above subject and to say- that
the Ministries/Departments of the Government of India have been
seeking clarifications from this Department on operation of the
aforesaid 0.IM. The matter has been considered and it is clarified as
under:-

(i) 'Anonymous complaints' are such complaints which do not

carry both, name and address of the complainant and need to
be dealt with in term.s of para 3 (i) of the DOP&T 0.M. dated
18.10.2013 referred to in para 1 above, irrespective of the
nature of allegations.

(ii) The complaints other than anonymous complaints which

contain vague allegations need to be dealt with in terms of
para 3 (ii) of the DOP&T 0.M. dated 18.10.2013 referred to in
sub- para (i) above.

(iii) The complaints which contain verifiable allegations and are

not anonymous, need to be dealt with in teinis of para 3 (iii)
of the DOP8GT 0.M. dated 18.0.2013 referred to in para 1
above

(G,Srinivasan)
Under Secretary to the Govt. of India

1. All Ministries/Departments as per standard circulation list.

2. Secretary, Central Vigilance Commission, New Delhi.
3. Department of Public Enterprises.
4. All Desks/Sections of DOP&T.
6>glaard File.
\_______5
NIC, DOP&T Cell for placing a copy of this o m on the website of
the Ministry-.
 N . 1 01 / :2 0 11 - AVE) .
Goverliffittn of India
of Personnel ix, Public Grievances fe Pensions
(Department of Personnel & Training)

New Delhi, Dated 31st March, 2015

C 7 APR 2079
OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject:- Guidelines regarding handling of complaints in

Ministries/ Departments.

The undersigned is directed to say that instructions regarding

dealing with anonymous and pseudonymous complaints were issued
vide this Department's Office Memorandum of even number dated
18.10.2013 and subsequently clarified vide Office Memorandum of
even number dated 18.6.2014.

2. A copy each of the aforesaid Office Memoranda are enclosed

herewith. The instructions contained therein are reiterated and all
Ministries/Departments are requested to follow the same while
handling complaints received in their respective Ministry/Department.

(Aditya Kumar ,Jo )

Director

1. All Ministries/Departments as per standard circulation list

2. Secretary, CVC
3. All Desks/Sections of DOP&T
4. Guard File
5. NIC, DOP&T Cell for placing a copy of this OM on the website of
this Department.
1 -F=4 44 1 -.
7 , ef._,, Z of 6- --Ifs., 1
j
I
•73--tr7

1 0 7 APR
 /Pe
RK I A
i : RF441)1r1 74-cl
14,
-

'olt.,ANCS
h;; t-31-44 Ti-a-471 3-1141 Trcr4tr,
\ \ 11 1 11 CENTRAL VIGILANCE COMMISSION , '•11 '100;2'3
13\ Satarkta Bhawan, CIRO. Complex,
2 ik 13 iock A, INA, 1N'cw Delhi 110023
08/DSPil
N
'''' '''' '''' 2014
f7,-i[41 Dated
Circular No. 07!11/2014

Subject: Action on anonymous ! pseudonymous complaints.

The Commission had vide its circular Nos 3(v)/99/2 date,d 29th June, 1990 and of
even number dated 31''' January, 20Ci2 prescribed that no action should be takenI on any
anonymous or pseudonymous complaints. Howeve,r, an enabling provision Was made
subsequently, vide circular of even nun-iber dated 1 October, 2002, that if ar?;. verifiable
oc,,ntained in such compiztints r8 proposed to be looked into, prior conourrentce of
the Commission is required to be taken by the departments / organizations,

2 The Commission has revieiiveci the matter end considering all aspects, would
oresc,Tibe that no action should be taken or anonymous / pseudonymous complaints by
iMinistries / Departments / Organisations in line with its earlier instructions dated 29u' June,
1999 and 31''' January, 2CO2 and such complaints should be filed. Commission's circular
of even nurnter dated 111' October, 2002 stands withdra\Nn with immediate effect.
Accordingly, Para 3.8.1 of Chapter of Vigilance Manual (Voluma-I — Sixth Edition.
2004) would stsind modified to that extent,

k
"X.

(J, Vinod Kumar)

Officer on Spacial Duty

To

All Secretaries in Ministries/Depai-tments to the Government of India

All Chief Vigilance Officers in the Ministries / Departments Public Sector
Undenakings I Public Sector Ranks Insurance Companies / Societies and other
Local Authorities.