New Delhi: In a bid to overcome bottlenecks in its probe into the coal scam and hacking cases, the Centre has asked some states to give their consent at the earliest for allowing CBI to investigate such cases.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has convened a meeting tomorrow to discuss the issue of giving consent in cases such relating to coal blocks allocation scam and hacking.
The Department has sought general consent of various state governments in cases relating to allegation of gross irregularities in the allocations of coal blocks and in respect of offences under the Information Technology Act, 2000.
CBI can take up an investigation in the state after getting its consent, a mandatory provision as per Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946.
"However, different states have furnished different decisions or opinions in these cases. There is no uniformity in providing general consent in such cases. It is, therefore, requested that the concerned states may provide uniform consent in such cases," said a DoPT note.
Tomorrow's meeting of Principal Secretary (personnel or general administration department) will discuss this and other matters. Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh will address these officers.
The offences under the Information Technology Act includes tampering with computer source documents, hacking with computer system and publishing of information which is obscene in electronic form.
The Centre will also discuss with states the matter of
setting up of additional special CBI courts.
Out of the 22 special CBI courts, 11 are functional. The governments of Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh have been requested to make functional the special CBI courts sanctioned to them.
Five courts have been sanctioned in Ahmedabad (Gujarat), two in Alipore and one in Asansol (West Bengal) and one each in Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Srinagar (J&K) and Patiala (Punjab).
These courts are in addition to 70 special courts sanctioned by the government to expedite CBI cases. Of these, 69 have started functioning in various states. One court in Bhubaneswar is yet to start its functioning, DoPT data said.
The matter related to fixed tenure for officers of all India services (Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service and Indian Forest Service) and unauthorised absence of IAS officers and overstay of IAS, IPS and IFoS officers will also be discussed during the meeting.
