Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

`Cleaning up the system, key to combating corruption'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI NOV. 6. The Central Vigilance Commission is looking more and more at the system to identify the cause of corruption and take remedial measures.

The most important way of tackling the evil is `good old policing', detecting malpractices and taking necessary action. It is necessary to find out what in the system has led to corruption, the Central Vigilance Commissioner, P. Shankar, told presspersons here today. There should be greater transparency in proceedings. Much also depended on officials' interface with the public.

Creating an awareness among the general public and cleaning up the system would go a long way in eradicating corruption. Mr. Shankar said things improved in the Railways after the `computerised passenger reservation system' was introduced. Corruption in allotment of seats to waitlisted passengers was avoided. A computerised arrangement was being thought of in the purchase procedures of the Union Ministries, departments and public sector undertakings also.

Answering questions, Mr. Shankar said some departments had enabled downloading of tender forms from the Internet. It was planned to put up boards asking the public not to pay any bribe and also detailing the procedure to be followed for getting work done in a Union Government office or a public sector undertaking. Booklets would be brought out informing the public of the procedure for grievance redressal. Contrary to the practice in the past, the Commission decided to put up the names of corrupt public servants on its web site only after punishment was awarded to them. ``It is in fairness that the names be listed on the web site only after punishment is awarded''. Also, plans were afoot to improve the web site. To a question on transparency in government functioning, Mr. Shankar said the ``Right to Information Act'' had been enacted. But when presspersons pointed out that it was not being implemented and asked whether he would take up the matter with the Union Government, he replied in the affirmative.

Last year, the Commission received 17,000 complaints, some of which related to State Governments. But as it did not have control over them and their public sector units, he forwarded the petitions to the Chief Secretaries, said Mr. Shankar. On his agenda for 2003, pat came the reply ``Doing my work efficiently''. Later speaking at the valedictory function of a vigilance awareness week at the Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd., Mr. Shankar said advisory boards comprising honest officers would soon be formed to look into charges against employees. He released the CPCL vigilance book and the first copy was received by the Managing Director-in charge, S. V. Narasimhan.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• STF pulled back at Karnataka instance
• $ 35 million for AIDS control
• TN Govt. will challenge temple takeover
• School dropout takes wing on Kalam vision
• Tamil TV networks to turn pay channels
• A comforting meeting, says Vaiko
• Fierce race in the domestic skies
• Ramadoss, G. K. Mani get contempt notice
• Matric schools can't admit students to Tamil medium sections
• Trade bandh at Tiruvannamalai
• `Cleaning up the system, key to combating corruption'
• Karunanidhi rebuts Minister's remarks
• Anti-conversion Bill should have gone to select panel: Swamy

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu