Contacts with business firms – Instructions regarding

(9) Contacts with business firms – Instructions regarding

Note (2) below Rule 13 (1) of the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, lays down that a Government servant shall avoid accepting lavish hospitality or frequent hospitality from any individual having official dealings with him or from industrial or commercial firms, organizations etc. Rule 4 (3) of the CCS (Conduct) Rules, 1964 inter-alia envisages that no Government servant shall in the discharge of his official duties deal with any matter concerning any company or firm or any other person if he or any member of his family is interested in such matter in any manner. These instructions have been issued to ensure that Government servants are extremely careful and discreet while coming in contact with businessmen and business firms so as to avoid situations, which might cause embarrassment to the Government or to the Government servants concerned, while dealing with matters relating to those business firms/businessmen in their official capacity.

2. It may sometimes so happen, that a Government servant is required to maintain contact with outsiders to gain information, in the public interest, about the violation of rules, regulations etc. In such cases the Government servant concerned has to exercise adequate care and discretion in making use of such outside contacts so that neither the Government nor the Government servant personally becomes obliged or committed to the said contact in any manner.

[DOPT O.M. No. 11013/1/88-Estt. (A) dated 10.05.1988]