News Analysis India

Tag: Central Vigilance Commission

  • CBI lodges 110 graft cases against 166 senior officers in 5 years

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Law-enforcing agencies, including the CBI, has registered corruption cases against over 100 civil services officers in the last five years. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has also recommended actions against a large number of officers.

    According to data with the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievance and Pension, the government has registered 110 corruption cases against 166 civil service officers (mostly IAS and senior state officers) between 2018 and February 28, 2023 through CBI alone.

    “Between 2018 and February 28, 2023, Maharashtra has registered the highest number of 35 cases against the civil service officers  for their alleged involvements in “unethical professional” practices, like bribery and taking undue benefits with the use  of their power and position. After Maharashtra, J&K registered the second highest number of 18 cases”, the government data showed, which has been accessed by this newspaper.

    Karnataka registered 14 cases of corruption, while Uttar Pradesh lodged 13 cases against their civil service officers during the same period. Besides, the ministry had recently informed the Rajya Sabha that the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) recommended actions against 6,367 government officers from 2017 to 2021 for their involvements in corrupt practices. The data further shows, the CVC recommended for the criminal proceedings against 433 out of 6,367 officers.

    According to one estimate, the total number of major and minor penalties and other actions taken during the said period were 8,794. This is in addition to 817 sanctions for prosecutions ordered by the competent authorities against corrupt government officers, including civil servants.

    A senior officer of IAS here, preferring anonymity, said that cases of corruption are being registered against civil service officers at a time when the country has a shortage of 850 IAS officers in particular to touch the sanctioned strength.

    “Currently, there are 5317 IAS officers in position in India against sanctioned strength of 6789. UP faces the highest shortage of 67 IAS offices to meet the sanction strength of 378, followed by Maharashtra with a shortage of 57 IAS officers”, the government adapt shows.

    NEW DELHI: Law-enforcing agencies, including the CBI, has registered corruption cases against over 100 civil services officers in the last five years. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has also recommended actions against a large number of officers.

    According to data with the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievance and Pension, the government has registered 110 corruption cases against 166 civil service officers (mostly IAS and senior state officers) between 2018 and February 28, 2023 through CBI alone.

    “Between 2018 and February 28, 2023, Maharashtra has registered the highest number of 35 cases against the civil service officers  for their alleged involvements in “unethical professional” practices, like bribery and taking undue benefits with the use  of their power and position. After Maharashtra, J&K registered the second highest number of 18 cases”, the government data showed, which has been accessed by this newspaper.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Karnataka registered 14 cases of corruption, while Uttar Pradesh lodged 13 cases against their civil service officers during the same period. Besides, the ministry had recently informed the Rajya Sabha that the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) recommended actions against 6,367 government officers from 2017 to 2021 for their involvements in corrupt practices. The data further shows, the CVC recommended for the criminal proceedings against 433 out of 6,367 officers.

    According to one estimate, the total number of major and minor penalties and other actions taken during the said period were 8,794. This is in addition to 817 sanctions for prosecutions ordered by the competent authorities against corrupt government officers, including civil servants.

    A senior officer of IAS here, preferring anonymity, said that cases of corruption are being registered against civil service officers at a time when the country has a shortage of 850 IAS officers in particular to touch the sanctioned strength.

    “Currently, there are 5317 IAS officers in position in India against sanctioned strength of 6789. UP faces the highest shortage of 67 IAS offices to meet the sanction strength of 378, followed by Maharashtra with a shortage of 57 IAS officers”, the government adapt shows.

  • Follow guidelines to obtain documents from CBI in corruption cases: CVC to government departments, banks

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on Wednesday asked central government departments, public sector banks and insurance companies to follow existing guidelines for obtaining relevant documents from the CBI for initiating and timely completion of departmental action against corrupt employees.

    The move comes after it noticed that departmental inquiries in a few instances were held up or slowed down due to non-availability of listed documents or delay in procuring/producing them during the course of inquiry.

    One of the reasons stated for delay in producing documents during inquiry proceedings, is that in cases investigated by CBI, the original documents remain in the custody of the probe agency, it said.

    The CVC in its order referred to its earlier directive that says “it should be ensured that the listed documents are obtained from the CBI before issuing the chargesheet and, where parallel proceedings are to be initiated, a set of listed documents, dully certified, is obtained from the CBI”.

    Further, in Para 6.9 (d) of Vigilance Manual 2021, it has been clarified that in respect of documents, which are taken in custody by CBI, “the departmental authorities may keep attested copies of the records for meeting urgent departmental needs or for disposing of any action that may be pending on the part of the department”, the Commission said.

    Moreover, in para 6.9 (n) and 6.9 (o) of Vigilance Manual 2021, the procedure for obtaining documents from CBI, for the purpose of initiating departmental action has been clearly defined and enlisted, it said in an order issued to secretaries of all central government departments, chief executives of public sector banks and insurance companies.

    “The Commission has directed that the above guidelines should be kept in mind for obtaining required documents from CBI, so that the inquiry proceedings do not suffer delay on this account,” it said, seeking strict compliance of its order.

  • Over 200 corruption complaints pending with CVOs, 105 for more than three years: CVC

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A total of 219 corruption complaints were pending investigation with the chief vigilance officers (CVOs), 105 of those for over three years, of different government organisations as on December 31, 2020, probity watchdog CVC has said in its latest report.

    It is expected of the CVOs, who act as a distant arm of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), that they would check corruption in a government department and conclude an investigation ideally within three months or as soon as possible thereafter, it said.

    “At the end of the year 2020, in respect of such complaints that were referred by the commission to the CVOs for investigation, reports were awaited in 219 complaints out of which 58 were pending for up to one year, 56 were pending for a period between one to three years and 105 were pending for a period of over three years,” said the CVC’s annual report 2020.

    The maximum number of 22 complaints were pending each with the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) and the Department of Secondary and Higher Education and Department of Elementary Education and Literacy, it said.

    Of the complaints with the Delhi government, eight were pending for more than three years, nine for one to three years and five for up to a year, the report said.

    Fourteen complaints were pending investigation and report for over three years at the Department of Secondary and Higher Education and Department of Elementary Education and Literacy, seven for one to three years and one for up to a year, it added.

    The CVC’s annual report 2020 was tabled in Parliament during the recently concluded Monsoon Session and uploaded on its website on Tuesday.

    According to the report, a total of 14 complaints sent to the CVO of the Department of Health by the CVC were pending investigation.

    Of these, four were pending for more than three years, six for one to three years and four for up to a year, it said.

    A total of eight complaints were pending investigation with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

    Of those, three were pending for more than three years, the report said.

    There were six complaints pending investigation each by the Department of Revenue (two for more than three years), the Municipal Corporation of Delhi North (all for more than three years) and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (all six for over three years), according to the report.

    Five complaints were pending investigation with the Ministry of Defence.

    One of those was pending for more than three years, it said.

    Two complaints each were pending with the Directorate of Enforcement (all for up to a year), MCD East Delhi (one for more than three years) and MCD South Delhi (one for more than three years), the report said.

    The CVC has mentioned a list of 94 government departments or organisations that had not concluded the investigation of the complaints sent to their CVOs by it.

    The report said the CVC got 27,035 complaints in 2020, down from 32,579 in 2019.

    Of these, 25,312 and 34,813 complaints were disposed of in 2020 and 2019 respectively.

    “After scrutiny of complaints received, the commission calls for inquiry or investigation reports from the appropriate agencies only in those complaints which contain serious and verifiable allegations and there is a clear vigilance angle,” the report said.

    According to the laid down procedure, the inquiry or investigation reports are required to be sent to the commission within a period of three months.

    However, it is observed that in a majority of cases, there is a considerable delay in finalising and submission of reports to the commission, it said.

    “Inordinate delays in submission of inquiry/investigation reports to the commission are a matter of serious concern,” the report noted.

  • CVC asks government departments to focus on ‘internal activities’, raise awareness on ‘whistleblowing’

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has asked all government departments to sensitise people about whistleblowing to expose corruption and focus on internal activities during the vigilance awareness week beginning next month, according to an official order.

    It has also suggested organising grievance redressal camps for citizens and customers by organisations having customer-oriented activities.

    Besides, the organisations can also hold “awareness gram sabhas” for dissemination of awareness in gram panachayats to sensitise citizens on the ill effects of corruption, said the order issued on Wednesday.

    According to past practice, public sector banks need to conduct “awareness gram sabhas” at the branch level in at least two gram panchayats, it highlighted.

    The CVC has also suggested observing a special clearance campaign by government organisations during this and next month to clear all outstanding like “prosecution sanction” and “departmental inquiries”.

    “The two months, September and October, 2021, may be observed as a ‘special clearance campaign’ to clear all outstanding further information cases, implementation of first stage and second stage advices, investigation and reports, factual reports, complaints (PIDPI), complaints (non-PIDPI), prosecution sanctions, departmental inquiries and comments awaited on CBI reports, in respect of all organizations and departments,: it said.

    PIDPI or Public Interest Disclosure and Protection of Informers is also known as the whistleblower resolution.

    The vigilance awareness week will be observed from October 26 to November 1, with the theme “Independent India @75: Self Reliance with Integrity”.

    The theme has been chosen to commemorate 75 years of the country’s independence on August 15, 2022.

    The commission has desired to spread awareness and campaign about “complaints under PIDPI”, according to the order.

    The term whistleblower is used for individual who expose corruption in government organisation.

    “A drive may be undertaken to spread awareness regarding the provisions under the PIPDI resolution as well as all related information,” it said.

    One of the two posters enclosed with the CVCs order read: “Is there corruption around you? Lodge a complaint under PIDPI. Your identity shall be kept confidential”.

    The order has been sent to secretaries of all central government departments and chief secretaries of the states.

    The posters mention details of the PIDPI or whistleblower resolution.

    “Both posters should be placed together and should be translated to local languages, wherever required,: the CVC order said, adding that they can be displayed at all offices.

    In continuation of activities taken up during vigilance awareness week, the CVC said that it “desires that all organisations focus on internal (housekeeping) activities”.

    It has also come out with a format for organisations to share details of these activities under broad categories of land management, management of assets, preventive vigilance measures undertaken by CVOs, leveraging technology, updating rules, regulations and guidelines, and on system improvements undertaken.

    “Observance of the vigilance awareness week is one of the tools used by the commission to bring together all stakeholders to collectively participate in the prevention of, and the fight against corruption and to raise public awareness regarding the existence, causes and gravity of and the threat posed by corruption,” the CVC said.

    During this week, all organisations are encouraged to bring together all their employees, create awareness regarding common issues related to vigilance and create an atmosphere motivated towards weeding out corruption and unethical practices, the order said.

    “Though punishment and penal actions delivered quickly are effective deterrents to corruption, the spirit behind the observation of vigilance awareness week is to sensitise the public against the menace of corruption,” it said.

    All organisations should strive to drive home the idea that the fight against corruption is a collective fight involving everyone, the order said.

    “It is therefore imperative that the public must be motivated to fight against corruption if India is to succeed in its goal towards achieving self-reliance with integrity,” it said.

  • COVID-19 second wave: CVC revises SOPs for intensive examination of government depts, banks, PSUs

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Central Vigilance Commission has revised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for carrying out an intensive examination of different government departments, public sector banks and PSUs.

    The Chief Technical Examiners’ Organisation (CTEO) of the CVC conducts intensive examinations of all contractual activities of the central government, central public sector undertakings, public sector banks and other organisations.

    The scope of its examination includes execution of works, purchase of goods, hiring of services, etc, which are mainly funded by the central government.

    In its revised SOPs, the CVC has decided a new time limit and procedure to deal with the examination.

    “The Commission has directed that the procedure and time limit as prescribed in the revised SOP should be strictly adhered to by the authorities in the organisations concerned,” the probity watchdog said in an order.

    As per the revised SOP, a proposal containing procurement contracts of various organisations to be taken up for intensive examination will be put up by chief technical examiners through the Secretary, CVC, for approval of the Commission.

    On approval of the proposal by the Commission, intimation will be sent to the Chief Vigilance Officers (CVOs) of respective organisations for submission of relevant documents/details/information to the CTEO for study, before taking up intensive examination, the order issued on Thursday said.

    “Dates of intensive examination will be communicated to CVOs of the organisation concerned, who will be responsible for ensuring availability of all concerned persons, documents, testing equipments etc during intensive examination,” it said.

    All necessary documents/information will be collected by the CTEO’s team carrying out the intensive examination during the period of intensive examination itself, it further said.

    “CVO of the organisation concerned shall be responsible for making such documents/information available during intensive examination to the CTEO’s team,” said the order issued to secretaries of all central government departments and the chief executives of public sector banks and insurance companies among others.

    Within 15 days of the completion of the intensive examination exercise, a draft report containing various observations /paras will be prepared by the CTEO, it said.

    The CTEO will prepare observations having prima facie vigilance angle; observations requiring recovery to be effected from the contractor; observations requiring rectification of defects/quality compromises and observations requiring systemic improvement, the order said.

    In case of observations/paras having prima facie vigilance angle, a proposal will be put by the branch officer concerned through the Additional Secretary concerned to the Secretary, CVC, for Commission’s approval within seven days, before sending the case to the CVO of the organisation concerned for investigation and report, it said.

    “While time for investigation and report will be 12 weeks, factual report will be required to be submitted by the CVOs within one month,” the order said.

    Overall time limit for conclusion of an intensive examination case shall be six months from date of issue of an intensive examination report, it added.