CVC on mission to root out corruption

Vittal, who was delivering the S D Gupte memorial lecture at the K C College here, said in order to ensure effective punishment — the CVC has separately issued orders about trapping the corrupt and punishing them within less than four months — two months for the police or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to give a date and two months for the departmental action.

The Central Vigilance Commissioner, addressing a huge gathering of intellectuals, said the youth will have to play an important role in ensuring punishment to the corrupt.

“Today, there is no shame (sic) if a public servant is corrupt. The active role of the youth will bring this element of social sanctions against corruption,” he said, adding, “The youth can also tackle corrupt businesses and other organisations to see whether they can do business without indulging in such malpractices.”

Describing corruption as the deadliest disease affecting public life, Vitthal said democracy can become more meaningful and make the life of every citizen of India better if we are able to fight corruption and reduce it to the minimum, if not eliminate it. About political corruption, he said the Lok Pal Bill and the increasing awareness of the danger of corruption could check it.

However, he sounded a warning. “While we encourage whistle blowers — those who are honest and expose corruption in the system — we do not want the youth to become a group of blackmailers of public servants and the business community,” he said.

“If we have to fight corruption, an agency like the CVC alone is not adequate. Ultimately, we have to bring the public in the picture,” he said. Every Indian citizen has the right to go to any public office and get corruption-free service. Once the departments declare upfront that they would like to provide corruption-free service, the hands of fighters against corruption is strengthened.

Mr Vitthal, who is a bureaucrat with over four decades ofexperience, said that schemes like voluntary disclosure of income scheme which legalised corruption — and has been blessed by the government needs to be scrapped. If a government that practices zero-tolerance, such vdis schemes should never be considered, he said. He further said names of wilfull defaulters of banks should not be kept a secret.