Service books

142. Special attention is drawn to the rules regarding service books contained in the subsidiary rules made by the Government and the Comptroller and Auditor General under Fundamental Rule 74 (a) (iv). The service book is a contemporary record in minute detail of a person’s official career. No-pensionable service should be distinctly shown as such in column 2 of the service books, and every entry should be attested at the time by the head of the office.

At a fixed time early in the year the service books should be taken up for verification by the head of the office who, after satisfying himself that the services of the Government servant concerned are correctly recorded in each service books should recorded in it a certificate in the following form over his signature :

"Service verified up to..................(date) from (the record from which the verification is made)."

The head of the office in recording the annual certificate should in the case of any portion of service that cannot be verified from office records, distinctly state that for the expected periods (naming them) a statement in writing by the Government servant, as well as a record of the evidence of his contemporaries, is attached to the book.

NOTE—The verification of service referred to above should be in respect of all service qualifying for pension whether permanent, provisional, temporary or officiating.

When However, a non-gazetted Government servant is transferred from one office to another the Head of the Office under whom he was originally employed, should record in two service books under his signature the result of the verification of service, with reference to pay bill and acquittance rolls in respect of the whole period during which the Government servant was employed under him before forward in the service book to the office where his services are transferred.

143. (Deleted).

144. The service books should be kept in the custody of the head of the office. When an employee is transferred to another office, his service book should be sent to the head of the office to which he is transferred, and not made over to him, nor should it be given to him when proceeding on leave. When non gazetted government servants are officiating in gazetted posts, their service books should be kept by the head of the office to which each such servant permanently belongs but when they are confiremed in such posts their service books should be forwarded to the Accountant General for record in his office.

NOTE—The head of the office may, on his own responsibility, entrust the custody of service books to the ministerial head of his office.

144 A. Attention is drawn to rule 141 and 142 of the Subsidiary Rules made by the Government in Volume II of this Handbook, which require the maintenance of service roll for certain classes of establishment for whom no service books are necessary. These service rolls should be taken up every year for verification of service and record of the necessary certificate by the head of office in the manner laid down in paragraph 142.