By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 18 Oct: In the past few months, the state Vigilance Department has increased the pace of its investigations into allegations of corruption by government officials. Sources claim that, currently, over 50 State Government officials are on the radar of the Vigilance Department. The department has sought permission of the state government to take action against 20 officers and government employees for their involvement in corruption. However, interestingly, almost all these are either junior or middle level officers.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has been claiming zero tolerance against corruption. He has asked the vigilance and other investigating agencies to take strict action against the corrupt. He has been reiterating his “commitment against corruption” in Uttarakhand. In such a situation, the Vigilance Department has speeded up investigation into several allegations of corruption and has now sought permission of the government to initiate legal proceedings against 20 officers on charges of corruption. While the corruption continues in Uttarakhand too like in other states, it is a fact that maximum action has been seen against corruption under the present regime, which of course does not mean that corruption is being curbed effectively in the state.
Besides these 20 officers against whom the Vigilance Department is seeking legal action, more than 30 other officers are also on the radar and sources claim that investigation into these cases is presently in various stages of progress.
It may be recalled that, yesterday, Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Radha Raturi had chaired a review meeting on the progress in investigation of various cases of corruption by the Vigilance and other agencies. Raturi had directed the Vigilance Department to complete inquiry on all complaints at the earliest. She was informed that a total of 252 traps have been laid by the Vigilance Department against the corrupt officials since the formation of the state. In these cases, conviction was achieved in a total of 59 cases. In the year 2023, 176 complaints have been received from toll free number 1064 in Dehradun sector and 118 complaints have been received in Haldwani sector. Out of these, preliminary investigation on 143 complaints has been completed in Dehradun sector and 82 complaints in Haldwani sector. Thus, out of a total 294 corruption related complaints in the state, 57 complaints are still pending. A total of 12 traps have been conducted, so far, this year. Regarding the cases pending in the Vigilance Establishment, there are a total of 9 pending investigations in Dehradun sector and 4 pending investigations in Haldwani sector. There are 11 open investigations pending in Dehradun sector and 5 in Haldwani sector.
Conviction of only 59 out of 252 cases where traps were laid against the “corrupt” officials indicates a rather low rate of conviction. Clearly, the vigilance department needs to improve the conviction rate. Meanwhile it waits for the permission of the government to initiate action against 20 officers. It is also interesting to note that some of the high profile cases the Vigilance Department was investigating have been transferred to the CBI or the other agencies, for example, the case of illegal tree felling and illegal construction in Corbett Tiger Reserve, where senior IFS officers are the main suspects. The state Vigilance Department is also investigating cases related to irregularities in government appointments. Some of these cases have also been shifted to SIT from the Vigilance Department. Sources in the department concede, however, that unless strict action on top officers is taken, it will be difficult to curb corruption.
