Grant of Honorarium to Inquiry Officer/Presenting Officer in the departmental inquiries

Grant of Honorarium to Inquiry Officer/Presenting Officer in the departmental inquiries – clarification: CGDA order dated 16.08.2023

Through Website

“हर काम देश के नाम”

कार्यालय रक्षा लेखा महानियंत्रक
उलान बटार रोड़, पालम, दिल्ली छावनी -110010
Office of Controller General of Defence Accounts
Ulan Batar Road, Palam, Delhi Cantt – 110 010.

No. AN/XIII/13006/2A/Vol-XXII

Dated: 16.08.2023

To,

All the Principal Controllers/Controllers
(Through CGDA Website)

Sub.:-Grant of Honorarium to Inquiry Officer/Presenting Officer in the departmental inquiries-clarification reg.

Consequent to issue of DOPT OM No. 1668597747466 dated 16.11.2022 on the subject, revising the rate of honorarium payable to the Inquiry Officer/Presenting Officer, the same was circulated to all the PCSDA/CSDA.

2. After examination of the same, one of the PCDA/CDA office sought certain clarifications, which were referred to the MoD(Fin) for clarification. Now the MoD(Fin) has issued the necessary clarification on the same. The points of doubts & clarifications thereon are furnished below;

Sl. No.	Doubts raised by O/o CGDA	Solutions
i.	Whether the rate of honorarium revised vide DOPT OM dated 16.11.2022 were applicable to the cases wherein inquiry was completed and inquiry report was submitted by the IO prior to the issue of the said DOPT OM, but request for grant of honorarium was submitted by IO/PO after 16.11.2022?	No. Rate of honorarium revised vide DOPT OM dated 16.11.2022 are not applicable in the present case. It is already provided under para 15 of ibid OM that these instructions will be applicable prospectively for processing the Bill submitted by the IOs/POs.
ii.	Whether the honorarium equal to 15% of monthly Basic Pay drawn and equal to 10% of monthly Basic Pay drawn, as prescribed in DOPT OM dated 16.11.2022 is to be paid in full to IO and PO or to be reduced to 50% in case the inquiry proceedings were not completed and inquiry report was not submitted by the IO within a period of 180 days from the date of appointment of IO?	Honorarium is to be paid to IO and PO as prescribed in DOPT OM dated 16.11.2022. Clause of reducing the Honorarium to 50% is not mentioned anywhere in the ibid OM.
iii.	Whether honorarium paid in terms of DOPT OM dated 31.07.2012 in between the date of DOPT OM i.e. 16.11.2022 and HQrs office circulated dated 02.01.2023 (past cases) be re-opened in terms of DOPT OM dated 16.11.2022 for payment of difference amount or not?	Such cases can be reopened on the request of IO/PO.

iv.

Basic Pay of which date i.e. Basic Pay drawn as on the date of nomination of IO/PO or Basic Pay drawn as on the date of submission of Inquiry Report or Basic Pay drawn as on the date of submission of request by IO/PO for grant of honorarium is t0 be considered for payment of honorarium. To cite as an example, the Basic Pay of IO/PO is different at these three Stages as IO/PO was nominated on 30.04.2020, Inquiry Report was submitted on 11.08.2021 and request for grant of honorarium was submitted on 22.12.2022.

Para 3 of CVC communication No. 021/MSC/015 dated 05.12.2022 states as: “At the time of issuance of appointment orders of IO/PO of conducting departmental inquiries, the authorities concerned in the respective organizations may fix the honorarium, keeping in view the structure of rates, as mentioned in DOPT’s OM dated 16.11.2022, after following the due process. The same may also be communicated to the IOs/POs along with their appointment orders as IO/PO.

Accordingly, Basic Pay drawn as on the date of nomination of IO/PO may be considered for payment of honorarium.

The above may be kept in view while deciding the cases for grant of honorarium o Inquiry Officer/Presenting Officer in the departmental inquiries.

4. In case of any further clarification is required the same may be refer to this HQrs office.

(Mohan Lal Meena)
Sr. ACGDA(AN)

Source: CGDA