Bill passed making permission compulsory to arrest govt employees

The parliament on Tuesday passed the "Public Service (Amendment) Bill-2023', making prior permission of the authorities concerned compulsory for arresting government employees in criminal cases related to performance of duties.

Law enforcers will need prior permission from the government or the appointing authority to arrest employees of autonomous, legislative and local government bodies before the chargesheet is accepted by a court in criminal cases filed in connection with duty performance.

The bill also sought to make it mandatory for the autonomous, legislative and local government bodies to take clearance from the Finance Division over financial expenditures.

In the existing Public Service Act, 2018, the Finance Division has authority over the financial matters of the government entities, officials and employees, but it was not clear what would be the involvement of the Finance Division regarding the autonomous, legislative and local government bodies.

The public universities, the Election Commission, or local bodies like city corporations and union parishads will have to take opinions of the Finance Division over their financial expenditures.

It had been mandatory too for the autonomous, legislative and local government bodies to take clearance from the Finance Division before, but the enactment of the existing law in 2018 made it unclear.