CVC report: Out of 2,982 officers who faced action for graft last year, as many as 911 belonged to the Railways, doubling its corruption index
New Delhi
The Indian Railways has turned out to be the most corrupt governm
ent organisation in the country in the annual report of the Central Vigilance Commission ( CVC) for the year 2010.
Every third official penalised for corruption is from the Railways.
Four public sector banks – Canara Bank, Vijaya Bank, State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank – in that order, followed by the Delhi Development Authority ( DDA) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
Out of 2982 officers who faced action for graft last year, as many as 911 belonged to the Railways, doubling its corruption index as 509 Railway officers had faced the heat for corruption on CVCs advice in 2009.
As many as 205 officers of Canara Bank came under scrutiny for alleged corruption during 2010 while the officers of the four public sector banks punished totalled 406 in some way or other, says the CVC report.
In a stinging comment on the departments sitting over the CVCs advice for action for over six months, the report says a total of 2346 officers were thus sheltered.
The Indian Railways lead in this respect too as no action was taken against 321 officers despite the CVCs advice given more than six months ago.
The report notes that the CVC ensured in 2010, a year of scams, that nearly 3000 corrupt government officers face action for corruption – the highest in its history with a jump of almost 20 per cent over 2009. However, most disturbing was that their organisations either did not slap the punishment recommended and let them off with light punishment.
‘The organisationsalt39alt39unwillingness to accept CVCs advice against some officers is viewed as examples of a selectiv approach to favour certain officers. During the year, there were instances where the advice tendered by CVC were diluted considerably,’the report said.
Noting that such anti- corruption measures wonalt39t quell the public anger, the report said: ‘Ineffectiveness of current anti- corruption efforts in containing corruption affecting the common man has resulted in citizens losing faith in the system and the institutional mechanisms available.
In the hight of the Supreme Court decisions on the subject and the public perception of the existing mechanisms for anti- corruption measures, there is a need for a quick review of the mechanism currently available and strengthening of the same.’
