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| Quality investigation in specific time frame important objective of SVO: Bhan | | | Jammu, January 06
Welcoming Chief Minister and participants in Departmental Vigilance officers conference here today Vigilance Commissioner Dr. Ashok Bhan said that investigations and enquires in a time frame have given rich dividends and there has been a quantum jump in percentage of cases proved, number of cases challaned, cases referred to government for sanction and number of sanctions for prosecution received from the government. In each of these categories the figures this year have surpassed all previous records.
He said quality investigation in a specific time frame was one of our objectives during the last year. The proportion of proved cases has increased to over 95 per cent in 2005-06 as against around 65 percent in 2003-04 and an average of 35 percent during 1997-2002. Similarly, out of 65 cases registered in 2005, investigation of 45 cases has been completed and 30 of them challaned in the court of law. It is creditable that out of 84 cases registered in the current year, investigation of 31 cases has been completed and 15 of them have been challaned.
He said 84 cases were registered against 92 government officials (including 30 gazetted officers) and 7 private persons. These included 46 trap cases in which 51 government officials including 5 gazetted officers were caught red handed taking bribe. He said 78 cases against 122 officials including 34-gazetted officers were referred to government for according sanction for prosecution. These include 31 cases registered in the current year. He said government accorded sanction for prosecution in 70 cases against 94 government servants including 18-gazetted officers. In 8 cases, courts convicted accused during the year. 93 cases were challaned in the court of law against 174 government officials including 60 gazetted officers and 46 private persons businessmen, middlemen, beneficiaries of graft etc.
Under the amended provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act properties of six accused public servants valued at Rs 2 crore has been attached. The 12 cases were registered against public servants for being in possession of assets disproportionate to their sources of income. Property, both movable and immovable, worth over Rs 11 crore has been detected in these cases, so far. A number of cases related to misappropriation of government funds in works, awarding of contracts and purchases were registered. According to a conservative estimate loss of over Rs 10 crore was caused to the exchequer in these cases.
He said more attention is being paid to take enforcement to rural and remote areas. Out of 84 cases registered in 2006, as many as 45 related to district other than Jammu and Srinagar. Employees were caught red handed while accepting bribe in Rajouri,Sopore, Handwara, Kupwara, Nowshera, Sumbal, Anantnag, Katra and Pulwama.
An all time record of over 5000 complaints were received, based on these complaints, 24 P.Es, 648 verifications and 199 Joint Surprise Checks were ordered during the year. Simultaneously, enquiries in 42 P.Es, 415 verifications and 221 joint surprise checks were concluded during the year. Over 1700 complaints were referred to DVOs.
He said citizens have started to make use of the RTI Act, the State Vigilance Organization, which was the first to issue its citizen’s charter and nominate a nodal officer has provided information to 7 applicants, denied to 3 and advised in 1 case to take report from the originating department.
Dr. Bhan said these are a few examples of utter carelessness or even complicity of senior officers by avoiding monitoring and inspections. There is an urgent need to plug such bad practices to save loss to the exchequer. The DVOs can play a crucial role in this regard by reporting such lapses so that preventive measures are taken well before loss is caused to the exchequer. The institution of departmental Vigilance Officers has gradually begun to serve its purpose. We are now receiving response to about 35 percent of the complaints referred to the DVOs.
He said one of our objectives during 2007 shall be drafting of state Vigilance Manual. We wish to standardize the procedures for the sake of uniformity. Good practices in investigation have to be made part of this manual. The manual will also help reduce discretionary powers at various levels within the organization and make its functioning more accountable and transparent.
He said Chief Minister has often shown his desire to increase our reach to far and remote areas. These areas are prone to swindling of funds allocated for developmental activities. While we have taken step to increase our reach and about 54 per cent cases were registered during 2006 in districts other than Jammu and Srinagar. Ultimately offices will have to be set up to begin with, in Doda, Rajouri, Poonch, Kupwara and Anantnag. MHA has already agreed in principle to allocate 2 per cent of police modernization grants for anti-corruption bureaus in various states. It will be our endeavour to get allocations from MHA for setting up Vigilance offices in various districts. During the current financial year a proposal has already been mooted for construction of office complex at Srinagar.
He said proposal to return the trap money to the complainants after 6 months of the trap is under active consideration of the government. This will encourage people to come forward and volunteer information to expose corruption in public utility departments particularly when quantum of graft money is large.
The State Vigilance Organization must establish its credibility to attract quality information from the complainants. The officers of SVO have an onerous responsibility before them and they are expected to carry out their work with a missionary zeal. They are expected not to succumb to the baits that corrupt public servants may throw. They are expected to withstand pressure if the investigations are to be carried out objectively. To further motivate the executive staff of the State Vigilance Organization, a proposal for an incentive scheme on the lines of CBI has been sent to government. I would request the Chief Minister to kindly consider the scheme favourably.
May I take this opportunity to assure honest and efficient government employees that they have nothing to fear. We are looking for corrupt public servants. Nothing will be done to soil the reputation of honest and efficient government employees. Our doors are open to them if any one feels victimized. No case is being registered in the SVO till the criminal intent on the part of the government servant is prima facie made out. I have specially instructed investigating staff to lay lot of credence on reputation of the officer and quickly retract as soon as they smell that a complaint has been filed to malign the reputation of an officer. |
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