Form committee to amend rules for VAOs, directs HC

The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Secretaries of the Revenue Department and Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department, to consider constituting a Rule Committee to amend the Discipline and Appeal Rules suitably or to re-draft the entire rules to ensure that the corrupt Village Administrative Officers (VAOs) are effectively dealt with and proportionate punishments are imposed.

Coming down heavily on a Village Administrative Officer (VAO) for issuing a marriage certificate without even verifying the legality of the same thereby abetting the offence of bigamous marriage, Justice S M Subramaniam said, “The worst form of corruption brought to the notice of this Court is that for issuance of death certificate in the Villages, the VAOs are demanding and accepting bribe when the corpse (dead body) is placed in the burial ground.”

“They are also assisting, colluding and providing information for encroachments of public lands by the land grabbers and realtors. Moreover, they are issuing incorrect and false certificates for the purpose of availing the Government welfare schemes and all ineligible persons are benefited from the Government welfare schemes and thereby, causing monetary loss to the taxpayers’ money,” Justice Subramaniam said.

Besides seeking to amend the Discipline and Appeal rules, Justice Subramaniam also directed both the secretaries to issue instructions to all the District Collectors to verify the asset details of the VAOs in their respective jurisdiction and initiate appropriate action in the event of any discrepancy or disproportionate wealth held by such VAOs.

The judge also directed the secretaries to issue circulars to all the VAOs to maintain a permanent book of registers for the purpose of entering the certificates issued by them to the public.