NEW DELHI, FEB 27: Continuing its crusade against bureaucrats facing corruption charges, Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has now targeted the Indian Forest Service (IFS) by putting on its website names of 23 officials of the service. The Commission last month had put on its website names of 107 IAS and IPS officials, some of them in the rank of secretary, against whom it had recommended criminal or departmental proceedings on corruption charges, triggering a controversy. In the latest move, the Commission has included names of 23 IFS officials on its website against whom it has advised launching of criminal proceedings or imposition of major penalties. According to the CVC website, the Commission has advised launching of criminal proceedings against 16 IFS officials and imposition of major penalties against seven others. The officers against whom it has advised launching of criminal proceedings include a Divisional Forest Officer in north region, a retired chief executive in the Orissa Forest Corporation and an Additional Chief Conservator of Forest. The penalties recommended by the CVC include cut in pension for four retired officers. The Commission has also advised initiation of criminal or departmental proceedings against a sub-divisional magistrate belonging to Union Territory Civil Services (UTCS) from Delhi. Earlier, the CVC had put on its website names of 77 Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officials against whom it had recommended criminal proceedings or imposition of a "major penalty" for alleged acts of corruption. Of these IRS officials who belong to Customs, Central Excise and Income Tax, the CVC has recommended launching of criminal proceedings against 10 and imposition of major penalties against 67.
