Have SOPs to check corruption: CVC to govt depts

All central government departments have been asked to do away with "outdated" processes and to have Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to check corruption, Central Vigilance Commissioner K V Chowdary said on Friday. 

Besides, the anti-corruption watchdog has asked people to send it complaints against central government employees under its jurisdiction with proper details to ensure speedy action.

"We have requested the Chief Vigilance Officers of all organisations to identify areas where there is a scope for corruption, where there is scope for delay. Infact delays are occurring where the procedures and processes have become outdated in the current scenario and giving rise to some attitude of bribe seeking," he told reporters here.

Chowdary said the CVOs, who act as distant arm of the Commission, have been asked to take appropriate steps to streamline the procedures, may be avoid or delete the provisions relating to the discretion powers available with the officers.

"More importantly to bring what we called SOPs how to deal with applications in what sequence and on what criteria. We have got a very good feedback from our CVOs and they are in the process of reviving them," he said.

Chowdary said that people need to be aware on the ill affect of corruption to check bribe giving.

"One thing is to bring into public attention the ill affect of corruption. Corruption is not taking money or giving money but it has a much larger significance of the process being compromised. We must bring awareness among public," he said.

The systems and processes should be set in place so as to generate alarm in case of anything happening beyond the prescribed processes. "It is important to bring changes in the system so that we can prevent such misconducts," Chowdary said.

The chief of probity watchdog has advised people to send complaints with proper details.

"We get complaints related to power and water supply, which is not our jurisdiction, which we forward to concerned departments. So there is a lack of awareness (as to where to send what complaint). We want people to be aware on it. We will request people to send complaint, but with concerned authority. I will also ask public to please come forward with specific and proper allegations so that action is faster," he said.

Chowdary said the CVOs have been made to access the pendency of corruption related cases pertaining to their organisations through the Commission's website, thus speeding up the disposal of cases and reduction in pendency.

"In one case (of delay in finalising corruption case), we had to take unpleasant step of initiating disciplinary proceedings against the inquiry officer himself as to why he has delayed it so long. Is there a genuine reason or it is just negligence or there is any malafide. This is bound to produce a lot of good results. But of-course it is going through much more work at the Commission. There is awareness among the CVO as well as the officer in CVC that we need to live up to the timeline set," he said.

The prime focus of the Commission is to curb the pendency of cases. The number of cases pending sanction for prosecution (for more than four months) were 28 as on June 20, 2015 which were reduced to 15 as on August 31, thus coming down to half within two months, Chowdary said. He was speaking at a press conference called on vigilance awareness week beginning from Monday.

Chowdary said that the purpose of vigilance awareness week is to generate awareness in the public at large about the bad effects of corruption. He said that this year the CVC is organising lectures at school and college levels. This will take the message of preventive vigilance to the young minds and they will be in a position to influence the society at large, the CVC said. 

Source : http://www.dnaindia.com/