Vigilance clearance mandatory for J&K employees to get passport: Govt

Notably, as per Office Memorandum (OM) of DoPT dated February 18, 2020, it is mandatory for the “administrative department or Controlling authority to check as to whether any provision of the Section 6(2) of the Passport Act, 1967 is attracted in case of employees, who are working under them, while obtaining Indian Passport. As such it is required to check the vigilance clearance of such government servants.”

“Accordingly it has been decided that vigilance clearance can be withheld only under the circumstances; where (i) the officer is under suspension (ii) Charge sheet has been filed in a court by the Investigating Agency in a criminal case or after grant of sanction by the Competent Authority under PC Act or any other criminal matter and taken cognizance of, by the Court of Law,” the DoPT had instructed in its Office Memorandum in supersession of all previous orders, while asking all “ministries/departments/officers to bring these guidelines to the notice of all…