New Delhi, Sept. 19 (PTI): No action will be taken on "last-minute" corruption complaints against bureaucrats while they are being considered for senior-level posts or promotions, the Central Vigilance Commission has said.

The probity watchdog's announcement would gladden bureaucrats, some of whom have complained of a rise in motivated allegations of corruption against them ahead of proposed promotions, empanelling or postings.

Central Vigilance Commissioner K.V. Chowdary said the watchdog, which provides clearance to central government officials for promotion or empanelment, would ignore any complaint received within six months of a proposed elevation.

"Generally, there is a trend of complaints coming up just before somebody gets either promoted or is about to be considered for a post. By and large, it is there," Chowdary said.

He clarified that "misconduct" would not be ignored. "If a misconduct itself is conducted, let's say, yesterday or the day before yesterday, you cannot be immune to that," he said.

Chowdary had earlier advocated penal provisions to deter people from filing motivated complaints.

He said the commission had cut the time taken to provide clearances from more than three months to three-to-five weeks.

"Communications between the CBI and the CVC used to take place manually.... We have now got a dedicated encrypted email (system), so a lot of time has been cut," he said.

Citing reasons for the delay in clearances, he said the verifications needed to be done from three ends - the department, the commission and the CBI.

"In the case of the CBI, it has to get inputs from all over the country because a person may have been posted anywhere from Kashmir to Kanyakumari during his service. So it takes time," Chowdary said.