Centre told to take decision on Sanjiv Chaturvedi's deputation in Lokpal within 8 weeks

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The Central Administrative Tribunal has directed the Centre to take a decision within eight weeks in the matter of senior IFoS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi’s seeking appointment on deputation in the organisation of the Lokpal.

In an order dated September 1, the Nainital bench of the tribunal directed the central government to “take a decision on the pending representation” of Chaturvedi, within a period of eight weeks.

The case was filed by Chaturvedi in February 2020 and the judgment was reserved on May 26 this year.

An officer of the 2002 batch of the Indian Forest Service (IFoS), Chaturvedi had applied for central deputation in the organisation of Lokpal in 2019.

His application was forwarded by the Uttarakhand government with a ‘no objection certificate’ and recommendations on December 23, 2019. Chaturvedi’s application has been pending since with the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change.

The tribunal in its judgment said, “We would like to record here that it has surprised us during the course of hearing that what we consider to be a simple matter on taking a decision on request of the applicant, it has got unduly complicated and also degenerated into allegations & counter-allegations.”

The tribunal also reminded the respondents of its earlier direction in the matter passed on December 15, 2021 in which it had directed the centre to “display magnanimity and openness in this issue and take an expeditious and considered view in accordance with the rules on the request by the officer seeking appointment on deputation in the office of Lokpal.”

The tribunal had in September 2020 passed an interim direction saying that the NOC granted by the Uttarakhand government to the officer for Lokpal deputation will not be disturbed till the conclusion of the case.

“Being an officer of the Indian Forest Service, which is an All India Service, the Applicant is entitled to seek such a deputation in the Central Government or any other autonomous organisation of the Government,” the tribunal said.

The order noted that the central government “being public authority, are obliged to decide the same.” The court concluded that if after consideration the central government is of the view that the decision in the matter lies with the office of Lokpal, they shall within this period of eight weeks, forward the representation to the Lokpal for a decision.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi had earlier worked in Haryana and then as Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) at AIIMS, Delhi where he had exposed many corruption cases. He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2015 for his crusade against corruption.