Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Saturday said it had adopted multi-pronged approach to corner the bribe seekers and generate awareness among the public during the year to make the State ahead in curbing the social malady.
In 2007, the VB nabbed 132 officials of different departments and 17 private persons red-handed while accepting bribes in 118 trap cases. Chief Director of the Vigilance Bureau, BK Uppal, said the Bureau had vowed to deal with corruption with an iron hand to end malpractices from all Government offices.
He said, adopting a zero tolerance policy towards all forms of corruption, Bureau has nabbed 12 Gazzeted Officers (GOs) and 122 Non-Gazzetted Officials (NGOs) since January 1 to December 30, this year. “Out of this 25 officers and officials were arrested with bribe money ranging from `50,000 to `2 lakh in 16 trap cases,” he added.
The VB Chief revealed that during the year, apart from other departments, 39 officials of the Punjab Police, 34 of Revenue Department, 12 of PSPCl, 7 of local Bodies Department, 6 of Panchayats and Rural Development and 5 of Irrigation department were nabbed red handed while taking bribes in separate cases.
He said VB has registered 35 criminal cases against 131 accused which include 23 GOs, 56 NGOs and 52 private persons. Apart from this, 95 Vigilance probe have been registered to probe graft complaints against 50 GOs, 71 NGOs and 55 private persons. Five Disprop-ortionate Assets cases were registered against 4 GOs and 1 NGO.
Uppal added the Bureau had been able to complete 57 Vigilance Enquiries and secured 42 per cent conviction rate in vigilance cases from special courts. During the year different special courts have sentenced 62 accused in 44 cases under prevention of corruption act.
He informed that the State Government had terminated the services of one GO and five NGOs on the recommendations of VB after registration of corruption cases against them and imprisonments thereafter.
The Bureau had received total 4,017 complaints out of which 23 vigilance enquiries were registered for further probe and 5 criminal cases were registered against the accused and many of them were sent to the concerned Administrative Departments for further necessary actions.
To check malpractices in different departments, Uppal said the VB had made 65 surprise checks in the State during the year which mainly includes illegal plying of private buses, checking of airport road, foodgrain markets during Rabi and Kharif seasons, Harike canal division Ferozepur and bridge on Upper Bari Doab Canal at Babbehali.
Apart from this the VB had organised seminars, rallies, radio talks, painting competitions in schools, interaction with Panchayats, NGOs and other persons in villages, offices and educational institutes and in distributed pamphlets during Vigilance Awareness week last month. “An integrity pledge was also administered to all the officers and employees of the bureau,” he added.
Uppal has asked the public and honest public servants to help bureau in its anti-corruption drive and inform the bureau on its Toll free Helpline 1800-1800-1000 or lodge online complaints on VB website if any public servant demands bribe. He assured that information and identity of the informers would be kept strictly confidential.
