The government is establishing a network of security officers in all its ministries, divisions and departments with a task to ensure security of classified documents in its departments. The interior ministry has issued a notification to all government offices in this regard. Help from the intelligence bureau and special police is also being sought to vet services record of all officers, prior to their transfer and posting.
The notification states, "All personnel, on their appointment and transfer to ministries, departments or divisions, should be vetted periodically through the Intelligence Bureau, special branch police as required under para 88 of the booklet "security of classified matter in government departments".
According to notification, senior security officers, preferably next or second next after the head of department, shall be appointed by the head of government departments as senior security officer.
A network of security officers in all departments will work under these senior security officers. They will be bound to report to senior officers in case of negligence in work or leakage of information on part of civil servants. Monthly reports will be submitted to senior officers in this respect.
All security officers will be gazetted officers, who will monitor matters ranging from proper scrutiny of posts, preventing entry of unauthorised persons, to keeping classified documents in locked cupboards and proper transportation of these documents to other divisions.
Senior security officers will supervise working of these officers and also guide them and take suitable action on their reports.
The government, besides creating a security cadre in its jurisdiction, also formulated a pattern for employees to be strictly followed.
All personnel working in buildings will soon be issued security passes carrying photographs with the instruction to display the same in person.
No official other than the rank of deputy secretary and above will be allowed to carry briefcases to their offices.
No officer below the rank of joint secretary or head of department shall take classified documents to his residence except in special circumstances, and only after getting a written permission from the joint secretary concerned or head of the department.
Classified matter shall not be taken out of office premises except in special circumstances, when they are required for official reference at a conference or a meeting.
The notification directs all government offices to fix, if required, maximum time after office hours after which offices will be closed and the staff will not be allowed to sit late in offices without an officer.
Any officer continuing to work after prescribed time must get his room locked in his presence or in the presence of his PS or PA. In case of emergency, an officer visiting office after normal working hours should make entry in the register giving full details of his name, designation, time of arrival and department and his signature.
Top-secret documents shall be handed by a section officer, who himself will open and get it delivered to the higher officer through his PA and PS in a confidential box or through a safe hand.
After completion of action, such files will be retained in safes or steel cupboards with combination locks with the concerned officer.
The issuing authority of classified documents should keep an up-to-date list of distribution of all these documents issued by it, indicating copy number and name of each holder, respectively. A copy of such a list shall also be provided to IB, for a supervised check.
The safe custody certificate in respect of each copy of any sensitive document must be sent by the recipient to issuing authority on the first of July each year.
Copy of the handing/taking over certificate in case of transfer of documents should also be sent to originator of documents.
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