Number of corrupt officials on rise, Orissa to set up three more vigilance court

Odishatoday, Nov 4, 2008

Bhubaneswar( Orissa): In an attempt to curb corruption in the state, the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday announced set up three more vigilance courts in the state.

While attending a state-level function to observe vigilance awareness week, Naveen said that the new courts would be established at Kandhamal, Kalahandi (Bhawanipatna), and Keonjhar.

During the current year as many as seven new vigilance offices have been opend at Dhenkanal, Sonepur, Debagarh, Navrangpur, Boudh, Jharsuguda and Nuapada.

Addressing the inaugural of observance of Vigilance Awareness Week here on Monday at Rabindramandap Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said “my government makes no compromise in maintaining integrity in public life .This year two such courts had been set up in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.”

The Chief Minister also emphasised that the youth need to be more vigilant and ensure that corruption does not become a bottleneck to the rapid industrialisation and economic progress being taking place in the state.

The Central Vigilance Commission has provided a new avenue to lodge complaint against corruption to the general public which can now lodge its complaint under the public interest disclosure and protection of informer’s resolution popularly known as Whistle Blower’s Resolution, said Mr Anup Patnaik, director vigilance.

As part of its anti-corruption drive, the state vigilance wing has till now registered 85 cases against 32 IAS officers and charge sheeted 10 of them, he added.

Similarly, 11 cases were registered against seven IPS officers and 28 cases against 21 Indian Forest Service officers.

During the past five years, the department registered 1,713 cases against 537 grade-I officers ,450 grade-II officers, 1,483 grade-III employees, 42 grade-IV staff, 333 other public servants and 878 private persons, while charge sheets have been filed in 1,232 cases.

The vigilance department, which registered graft cases against 537 grade-I officers, today called upon “honest public servants and citizens to be whistle-blowers” to unravel corruption he said.

Among others Law Minister Biswabhusan Harichandan, Ex-Lokpal Justice Sarat Chandra Mohapatra Member of Parliament Prasana Patasani were present on the occasion.