APPENDIX XIX-C

(See note below paragraph 82)

General instructions regarding the entrusting to officials duty of looking after the Government property at the time of opening and closing of offices.

I—G.O. no. A-725/X—290-35, dated June 3, 1936, to all Heads of Departments, etc.

I AM directed to say that it has been brought to the notice of Government that in certain offices the duty of opening and closing the offices is entrusted to a member of the clerical or menial establishment for which a small allowance is paid. Government have decided that these allowances should be stopped and I am to request that if any such allowance is being paid in your office or in an office subordinate to you it should be discontinued forthwith and the fact intimated to the Government. I am to add that the duty of opening and closing the office should in all cases be entrusted either to a clerk or a menial in addition to his own duties and without payment of any allowance. If the duty is entrusted to a menial he should be required to do the work under the supervision of a responsible official.

II—G.O. no. A-4860/X—127-48, dated September 30, 1948, to all Heads of Departments, etc.

I AM directed to invite your attention to G.O. no. A-725/X—290-35, dated June 3, 1936, and to say that it has been brought to the notice of Government that the instructions issued in the above Government Order regarding the entrusting to officials the duty of looking after the Government property at the time of opening and closing of offices are not being strictly complied with. As a result the number of thefts of iron safes, bicycles, typewriters, wall clocks. etc. in the Government offices have increased. I am, therefore, to request you kindly to issue orders to the effect that every Head of an Office should allot to a specified ministerial official (or officials) the duty of opening and closing the office. This should be deemed part of the regular duties of the post held by the official (or officials) concerned who should be made responsible for any loss that may occur owing to any negligence on their part in respect of this duty. They should be instructed to see at the time of opening and closing the office that nothing is missing in the office.

The best course to ensure this would be to tally, each time an office is opened or closed, all articles of the office with the list of properties pertaining to each room in an office to be prepared for the purpose and prominently exhibited in that room.