Year Ender-2013: Punjab Vigilance Bureau made earnest efforts in fighting corruption
Author(s): City Air NewsChandigarh, January 2, 2013:The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has made earnest efforts in fighting corruption through Enforcement, Education and Prevention in last year. A platform was provided to the public in preventing...
Chandigarh, January 2, 2013:The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has made earnest efforts in fighting corruption through Enforcement, Education and Prevention in last year. A platform was provided to the public in preventing corruption by providing facility to report on the toll free number and online complaints. Vigilance Bureau has received good response from the people on the toll free number 1800-1800-1000, which is installed at the Headquarters of VB in reporting complaints regarding corruption. The online complaint facility provided to the public on the website vigilancebureaupunjab.org has also received numerous complaints on corruption from various quarters. To publicize the toll free number and bring awareness in the public for reporting corruption, a poster campaign was conducted many times during the year. Besides, every month field units conduct public meetings at district level with various stake holders to bring awareness on the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act and facilities available in reporting complaints of corruption with the Vigilance Bureau.
The detail of work done by the Vigilance Bureau, Punjab with effect from 01.01.2013 to 30.12.2013 and during 2012 is given below:-
i) Total number of cases of Trap, Criminal cases and DA cases registered under the PC Act, 1988:-
Year |
Trap Cases Persons |
Criminal cases persons |
Disproportionate Assets Persons |
Total no. of cases registered |
|||||||||
No. of Cases |
GOs |
NGOs |
Pvt. |
No. of Cases |
GOs |
NGOs |
Pvt. |
No. of Cases |
GOs |
NGOs |
Pvt. |
||
2012 |
38 |
06 |
32 |
06 |
33 |
20 |
51 |
80 |
10 |
03 |
07 |
01 |
81 |
2013 |
77 |
17 |
70 |
09 |
29 |
09 |
43 |
23 |
09 |
02 |
07 |
-- |
115 |
During the year 2013, there is 100% increase in trap cases of corrupt public servant(s). In order to further encourage public to come forward and approach the Vigilance Bureau to trap corrupt public servant(s) red handed with trap money (bribe), the State Govt. has accepted the proposal of Vigilance Bureau for refund of trap money to the complainant on case to case basis.
ii) Total number of Vigilance Enquires registered against Gazetted Public Servants/Non-Gazetted Public Servants & private persons:-
Year |
No. of VEs |
GOs |
NGOs |
Pvt. |
2012 |
31 |
13 |
22 |
10 |
2013 |
80 |
49 |
71 |
27 |
iii) Total number of Gazetted Public Servants/Non-Gazetted Public Servants & private persons convicted by various Courts in Vigilance cases:-
|
|
|||
Year |
No. of Cases |
GOs |
NGOs |
Pvt. |
2012 |
82 |
12 |
80 |
33 |
2013 |
85 |
20 |
86 |
25 |
Although the number of public servants convicted is more during the year 2013, but the conviction rate of the cases decided by various Courts is 34.2% whereas, during the year 2012, it was 43.2%.
iv) Total number of complaints against public servants received in Vigilance Bureau & their status:-
V.B. Range |
Total received |
AD/VD |
DGP |
Filed by Committee due to vague allegations /anonymous |
FCs registered for enquiry during 2013 |
VE |
FIR |
Jalandhar |
673 |
417 |
123 |
107 |
23 |
02 |
01 |
Chandigarh |
412 |
265 |
67 |
59 |
17 |
04 |
-- |
Amritsar |
847 |
554 |
168 |
82 |
32 |
09 |
02 |
Patiala |
867 |
604 |
144 |
81 |
37 |
01 |
-- |
Ludhiana |
479 |
314 |
94 |
57 |
12 |
02 |
-- |
Ferozpur |
416 |
292 |
67 |
46 |
11 |
-- |
-- |
Bathinda |
302 |
224 |
42 |
29 |
06 |
01 |
-- |
Total |
3996 |
2670 |
705 |
461 |
138 |
19 |
03 |
Total number of FCs registered for enquires during the year 2012 was 122.
After conducting enquires of Complaints/V.Es, in 16 cases Vigilance Bureau has written to various departments to take appropriate departmental action against concerned government servants.
v) Detail of cases wherein the properties of the accused have been attached as per the Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance, 1944 :-
Total cases prepared |
Received approval from Govt. |
Pending with Govt. |
Pending with VB Range. |
11 |
04 |
05 |
02 |
Joint checking of various departments:-
Vigilance Bureau had also conducted joint checking of ongoing works along with the CVOs of various departments. The works on which the checking were conducted was based on complaints of corruption received by the Bureau. Surprise checking of some offices, departments in the field numbering 46 i.e. on an average one joint checking every week throughout the year was conducted by the Vigilance Bureau with the assistance of technical teams of the bureau. The checking reports are sent to the concerned departments for taking appropriate action for the irregularities. In few cases, criminal cases were registered for large scale corruption/irregularities.
Awareness campaign:-
To bring awareness among the youth, a painting competition was also conducted for the school children of different age groups in the month of October-November, 2013 to involve them in the campaign against corruption by the field units. Prizes were distributed to the best painting done by the children from different age groups.
Steps taken for improvement in the functioning of Vigilance Bureau:-
i) Internal Vigilance Cell :-During the year 2012, for the first time in Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, an Internal Vigilance Cell headed by an IPS rank officer was created with the aim of keeping vigilance over the functioning of officers and staff deployed in Vigilance Bureau. In the year 2013, 35 complaints against Officers/Officials of Vigilance Bureau were enquired into by the Internal Vigilance Cell and 5 officials (2/Insprs., 1/ASI, 1/HC, 1/Const.) of Vigilance Bureau were repatriated to the Police Department on administrative grounds.
ii) Training:- Special emphasis was given to training and 126 Vigilance Officers/Officials were trained at CBI Academy, Gaziabad & M.G.I.P.A, Chandigarh and in-house workshops in the investigation of corruption cases during the year 2013 and were provided better professional and investigative skills. The detail of Officers/Officials is given below:-
SSP/SP |
DSP |
Inspr. |
S.I |
Total |
20 |
33 |
65 |
08 |
126 |
iii) Construction of office building “Chowksi Bhawan” for Vigilance Bureau:- At present various offices of Vigilance Bureau, Punjab are functioning from three separate rented commercial buildings in Sector-17, Chandigarh and a large number of persons who are visiting these offices in connection with their work are facing inconvenience. For the convenience of general public, the State Govt. has allotted a plot measuring 6,000 square yards in Sector-68, S.A.S.Nagar to Vigilance Bureau for the construction of Chowksi Bhawan. Estimated cost for the construction of building is Rs. 14.50 crores which have been sanctioned by the Govt. During the year 2013-14, the Govt. has released funds amounting to Rs. 3.00 crores for this purpose. The construction is in progress and is likely to be completed during the year 2014.
iv) Creation of one post of Joint Director (Financial Investigation):- The State Govt. has sanctioned one post of Joint Director (Financial Investigation) to deal with various cases of Vigilance Bureau involving financial irregularities, embezzlements, disproportionate assets, frauds involving economic transactions and money laundering. This post will be filled by taking an IRS/IA&AS officer on deputation from Govt. of India.
v) Induction of well educated Officers/Officials in Vigilance Bureau :- For the purpose of inducting quality in investigations of the Vigilance cases, Vigilance Bureau is taking well educated staff from the Constable level & above in the bureau and most of them are graduates & post graduates in various streams i.e. MBA, MCA, M.Sc (IT), PGDCA etc. and well versed in Computers. The conduct and performance of the existing staff has also been reviewed and 136 Officers/Officials of Vigilance Bureau have been repatriated to the parent department. Well educated staff is being taken as their replacement.
vi) Modernization of working in Vigilance Bureau:- Vigilance Bureau is taking suitable steps for modernizing & computerizing it’s working and is also adopting other scientific methods of interrogation and for checking financial irregularities being committed by the public servants. A modern scientific interrogation room is being constructed in Vigilance Bureau for the purpose.
vii) Inspection of Vigilance Bureau Police Stations/Units:-For the first time, the concept of inspection of Police Station/Unit on the pattern of Police Deptt. (As per Punjab Police Rule) by a gazetted officer twice in a year has been introduced in Vigilance Bureau. It will ensure proper investigation of crime and also provide instructions and guidance for better working of the bureau.