PART - I

1. LIST OF CIRCULARS
G.Os., Memoranda, U.O.Notes etc issued by Government of Andhra
Pradesh

G.O.Ms.No.504 Genl.Admn.(V&E-A) Dept., dated 25-11-1997 regarding Single Directive of

Vigilance & Enforcement Department

Subject Heading: V&E Department — single directive

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ORDER:

Instructions have been issued by the Government from time to time to the administrative
Departments of Secretariat, Heads of departments, District Collectors, and other Officers, to extend
co-operation and assistance to the Officers of Vigilance & Enforcement Department, G.A.D. during
the course of their enquiries by making over records and material information required by them. Of
late, the Government have been entrusting the Department of V&E with a variety of enquiries and
the role of this organisation has now become quite comprehensive. It is, therefore, necessary to
consolidate all the instructions issued so far in the form of a single directive to all the Government
Departments / Government Undertakings / Quasi Government Organisations clearly defining their
responsibilities in relation to V&E Department.

II. ROLE OF THE VIGILANCE & ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT

The Vigilance & enforcement Department is an agency which was constituted in G.O.Ms.No.269
G.A.(SC.D) Department, dt. 11-6-85 by the Government to conduct enquiries / investigations into
specific allegations affecting public interest and to take effective measures through its own
machinery and with the help of other vigilance bodies, organisations and departments of the
Government to achieve the following objectives.

1) Prevention of leakage of revenues due to Government;

2) Detection of misuse or wastage of Government funds,
resources, materials and properties;
3) Prevention of loss of State’s wealth and natural resources;
4) To prevent losses/wastage & graft in public sector undertakings and Government Companies;
5) To advise the Government regarding the changes needed in laws and rules with a view to
simplifying and streamlining the procedures;
6) To refer any complaint/allegation to the Anti-Corruption Bureau for investigation/enquiry; and
7) To advise the Government on any matters that may be referred to it from time to time.

2. In other words, it is expected to carry out Vigilance functions where Government spending is
involved and enforcement functions in respect of the revenues due to Government.

III. ORGANISATION:

The V & E Department is part of G.A.D. The Department is headed by an Officer designated as
Director General (V&E), who is Ex-Officio Prl.Secretary to Government. He is assisted by Director
(V&E), who is of the rank of Inspector General of Police.

3. Keeping in view the various objectives set for the V&E Department, the Head Office of V&E
was reconstituted into the following four wings vide Office Order No.283 G.A.(V&E) Department
dated 3-8-95:
1. Revenue Wing;
2. Engineering Wing;
3. Development Works Wing; and
4. Natural Resources Wing.
4. Each of these wings is headed by a Joint/Addl.Director.
5. The V&E Department has 12 Regional Offices headed
by Regional Vigilance & Enforcement Officers with headquarters at and jurisdiction consisting of:
Hyderabad (Hyderabad City),
Secunderabad (Secunderabad and R.R.Dist.),
Warangal (Warangal, Khammam and Nalgonda Districts),
Nizamabad (Nizamabad and Medak Districts),
Karimnagar (Karimnagar and Adilabad Districts),
Visakhapatnam (Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam Districts),
Rajahmundry (East and West Godavari Districts),
Vijayawada (Krishna District),
Guntur (Guntur District),
Nellore (Nellore and Prakasam Districts),
Tirupathi (Chittoor and Cuddapah Districts),
Kurnool (Kurnool and Ananthapur Districts).

6. The Officers working in V&E Department both at Headquarters and in field Units are not to be
transferred without prior consultation with and concurrence of the D.G. (V&E), GAD, to avoid
dislocation of work. The V&E Department is a mixed set up with Officers from all the three All-
India Services and different departments of the Government working on deputation. By virtue of
the responsibilities of the Department it is necessary that Officers of proven integrity are spared for
service in the Department. The Heads of Depts. should extend all co-operation to the Director
General (V&E) in this regard.

IV. JURISDICTION

The V&E Department has jurisdiction and powers throughout the State of Andhra Pradesh in
respect of matters to which the executive authority of the State extends. The jurisdiction of the
V&E Department extends to all Departments of the Government, State Public Sector Undertakings,
State Government companies, all local bodies like Municipalities and Zilla Parishads and Quasi-
Government bodies and organisations receiving the aid or assistance of the State Government in
any form.

V. FACILITIES & CO-OPERATION TO BE EXTENDED TO THE VIGILANCE &

ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT:

Full co-operation and facilities should be extended by the administrative authorities and the
individual public servants to the Officers of V&E Department during the course of their enquiries.
The following instructions are issued in this regard:

a) Making over Records:

The Secretaries to the Government/Heads of Departments/ Officers and Chief Executives of

Government Undertakings shall ensure that full co-operation is extended to the Officers of V&E
Department and the records required by them are made over for scrutiny. Enquiries are often held
upon account of delays in making over the records required by V&E Officials. In asking for the
original documents, particularly those forming part of the current files, the V&E Officers will
however, exercise due discretion so as to ensure that the day-to-day work in the Department
concerned is not affected. On their part, the departmental authorities should ensure that the
documents requisitioned by V&E Department should be made available to them without any delay.
Where necessary, the departments may keep attested or photostat copies of the records for meeting
the urgent departmental needs, without prejudice to the enquiry/investigation being carried out by
the V&E Department.

2. The records required by the V&E Department should be made available to them as early as
possible, in any case positively within a week from the date of receipt of the requisition. If, for any
special reason, it is not possible to make over the records within a week, the matter should be
brought by the authority in possession of the records to the notice of the Director General
(V&E)/Director (V&E)/Regional Vigilance & Enforcement Officer concerned, giving in writing the
reasons for not making over the records within the specified period.

b) Witness:

Whenever the V&E Officers desire the presence of an official for examining him in connection with
any investigation/ enquiry, the administrative authority will direct the official concerned to report at
the V&E Department at the appointed date, time and place. If for any reason, it is not possible for
him to appear on the specified date and time, a request may be made in writing by him for
postponement. Such request would be given due consideration by the Officers of V&E Department.

VI) TRANSFER OF AN OFFICER AT THE REQUEST OF THE DEPARTMENT:

In cases where the V&E Department are enquiring into serious charges and makes a request for the
transfer of a public servant, such requests should be complied with. The V&E Department will
recommend transfer only when it is absolutely necessary for the purpose of enquiry and such
requests will be made by an Officer not lower in rank than Regional Vigilance & Enforcement
Officer after obtaining the concurrence of the Director General (V&E) / Director (V&E).

2. Where the Department concerned has some administrative difficulty in complying with the
request, the matter should be settled by discussion.

3. While it is recognised that the discretion of the Administrative Department should not be taken
away in matters of this kind, it is equally necessary that there should not be impediments to proper
investigation of the allegations of corruption, irregularities and misutilisation of funds etc. These
considerations should be borne in mind by all concerned.

VII) ASSISTANCE TO THE V&E DEPARTMENT BY TECHNICAL OFFICERS:

In respect of enquiries of technical nature, the V&E Department may need the assistance of
technical Officers like engineers, doctors, accountants etc. for elucidation of technical details of
cases under investigation. Government Departments, Municipal Bodies, Local Bodies and
Government Undertakings etc., should render full cooperation and assistance on receipt of such
requests from the V&E Department. The concerned Department should spare the services of such
Officers, as and when the services of specified Officers are requisitioned by the V&E Department
for conducting enquiries of sensitive nature. The samples / specimens collected by the V&E
Department during the course of enquiries, when sent to Laboratories / Institutes for analysis, the
concerned should examine them at the cost of the Department concerned and send their reports on
priority. The expenditure should be borne by the concerned Departments.

VIII)SUSPENSION:

The V&E Department may either during the course of enquiry or while recommending
departmental action, suggest to the Disciplinary authority that the Officer concerned may be
transferred or suspended giving reasons for recommending such a course of action. On receipt of
such a request, the matter should be carefully examined. The disciplinary authority may exercise his
discretion and initiate appropriate action. The authority concerned, in the event of disagreement
with the recommendations of V&E department may refer the matter to the Vigilance Commissioner
for advice.

IX) PROSECUTION:

Prosecution should be the general rule in cases of bribe, corruption and in matters of criminal
misconduct like causing wrongful loss to the Government or wrongful gain to a person. In such
cases the V&E Department will make out a report to Government or Director General, Anti-
Corruption Bureau suggesting that a case be registered by A.C.B. and investigated into.

X) POWERS:

The V&E Department will not normally take up any enquiry on anonymous petitions or
pseudonymous petitions and on petitions containing allegations of corruption against individual
Officers. Where, however, such petitions contain specific or factual allegations capable of being
verified, a suo-moto enquiry may be undertaken on the specific orders of the Director General
(V&E).

2. The petitions or complaints received from the Vigilance Commissioner / Lokayukta /Chief
Minister’s Office / Chief secretary addressed to the Director General (V&E) will be enquired into
and reports submitted.

3. Normally, the V&E Department would not entertain requests from Departments to conduct
enquiries on petitions received against their Officers. It is for the senior Officers of the Depts.
concerned to conduct such enquiries. It is the charter of V&E Officers to act on the intelligence
gathered by them. In exceptional cases, very important enquiries may be entrusted to them by the
Departments with the approval of the Chief Secretary to Government and giving reasons why their
own Officers cannot conduct such enquiries.

4. The Director General (V&E) may convene meetings with the Principal Secretaries / Heads of
Depts. or with their representatives for reviewing the follow up action taken on the reports of the
Department and on such matters which come under the purview of V&E Department Besides, the
Depts. should initiate action on all the reports of V&E Department by giving them TOP PRIORITY
and keep the V&E Department informed of the action taken. The Director General (V&E) is
authorised to call for Action Taken Reports (ATRs) from the Departments concerned.