SRINAGAR: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has made vigilance clearance a mandatory prerequisite for the release of pensionary and retirement benefits to Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) officers belonging to the AGMUT cadre.
Under the new directive, pension and other post-retirement dues of retiring officers will not be processed until their vigilance status has been verified and clearance obtained from the competent authority.
The measure is aimed at enhancing administrative accountability and ensuring that officers facing vigilance investigations, disciplinary proceedings or related matters do not receive retirement benefits before the completion of the prescribed scrutiny process.
The directive applies to IAS and IPS officers of the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territories) cadre, which covers Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Delhi, Chandigarh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, among other regions.
Officials said the move forms part of the Centre’s efforts to strengthen vigilance mechanisms and streamline procedures governing retirement and pension disbursement. Under the revised framework, pensionary benefits will be released only after certification that no vigilance-related issues are pending against the retiring officer.
The MHA has communicated the instructions to all concerned departments and cadre-controlling authorities, directing strict compliance with the new guidelines.
