Jammu: Passport issuing authority or verifying agencies (CID or Police) will not separately insist on seeking vigilance clearance or status if the intending (government employee) applicants’ Prior Intimation (PI) is already duly acknowledged by their controlling or administrative authority or employer.
In that case, it will be presumed that the concerned department has obtained the prior vigilance status in respect of the intending applicant. This was clarified by the J&K government through a circular issued on Wednesday.
Clarification was issued after instances came into the notice of the government that in view of its earlier instructions, the Passport issuing authority and verifying agencies were also insisting for obtaining the latest vigilance clearance in respect of the government employees before initiating the verification process. This was causing unnecessary delay and unwarranted inconvenience in issuance of Passport to the applicants (government employees).
Earlier on September 16, 2021, the government had made it mandatory to seek the latest vigilance status of a government employee applying for issuance of a passport.
These instructions vide Circular No 35 -JK(GAD)of 2021 dated September 16, 2021 were notified in consonance with the guidelines prescribed by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension, Department of Personnel & Training, Government of India vide Office Memorandum dated February 18, 2020 read with Office Memorandum dated March 28, 2018.
“However, instances have come into the notice of the government that in view of these circular instructions, the Passport issuing authority as well as verifying agencies are also insisting for obtaining latest vigilance clearance in respect of the government employees before initiating the verification process, which causes unnecessary delay.