ERC DEMANDS: Govt should put ban on accepting gifts

Ferozepur, November 11, 2012: The tall claims of Punjab government to provide corruption free and transparent administration and in the past, a ban was also being put on non acceptance of gifts during the festival days. 

No doubt, there had been some customary restriction but the gifts had been reaching the officials from back doors.  But this time, no such instructions have been issued right from the Secretariat to district and tehsil level, by the Punjab government.  It is presumed that the Punjab government wants to keep its officers happy from all angles in lieu of coming into power for the second time.

Despite the fact that Divali is a festival of maintaining strong bonds of brotherhood, community and societal relations but this festival is filling up the vacuum between the corrupt businessmen and bureaucracy.

With the coming of Divali festival, the income tax, sales tax, health and police departments become more active.  At the first instance, junior officials are sent for inspection of business houses, godowns etc and later on, by making the raids, huge funds are collected and in the event of resistance, the official formalities are completed by making the raids at the small traders. This practice is going in all the departments just to make a colourful Divali by the officers.

The Punjab government had been putting a complete ban of acceptance of gifts on Divali on its officers/officials with the result there was a check on corruption to some extent but this year no such instructions have been issued and bureaucracy is doing whatever they want.

Hans Raj, state spokesman of Education Reforms Committee has demanded from the chief minister and deputy chief minister, Punjab to put a complete ban on accepting the gifts by the officials of Punjab government like previous years so that anti-corruption movement of the Punjab government could get a kick.