CBEC issues draft Adjudication Manual
CBEC has issued a draft for the New Adjudication Manual and has invited comments and suggestions. They have not indicated where to send the suggestions. The draft manual is old wine in old bottle with a few high sounding phrases thrown in like, “The authorities exercising quasi-judicial function are duty bound to justify their existence and carry credibility with the people by inspiring confidence in the adjudicatory process. The public is entitled to have assurance that process of correction is in place and working. It is the requirement of law that correction process of judgments should not only appear to be implemented but also seem to have been properly implemented. These functions, therefore, cast a heavy responsibility on the officers invested with the powers of adjudication and confiscation to use it with utmost care and caution, free from any prejudice or bias, so that the innocent does not suffer by any injustice done to him and the real offender does not escape the punishment provided by law.”
The Manual says Adjudication Orders are to be issued immediately after personal hearing or within five days or within fifteen days or utmost within one month! And no adjudication authority follows this. Perhaps the Board will print thousands of copies of this manual, which nobody is going to read or follow!
Maybe they should have a look at the Rail Manual.