The Hindu : Kerala News : Deal sternly with corrupt officers: Lok Ayukta

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Friday, May 20, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Deal sternly with corrupt officers: Lok Ayukta

Staff Reporter

`Transfers not very effective, more action needed'

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Lok Ayukta, K. Sreedharan, and the Upa Lok Ayukta, N. Krishnan Nair, have noted that transfer of a corrupt official will not be an effective step to prevent corruption and that officers who are found to resort to corrupt practices should be dealt with a heavy hand.

"Transfer of a corrupt officer from one place to another will only change his field of activity to a new place where he is posted," the Lok Ayukta and the Upa Lok Ayukta said while closing a bunch of petitions relating to the corruption in Regional Transport Offices.

The Transport Secretary and the Transport Commissioner should take this aspect into consideration while dealing with corrupt officers working under them.

Directive issued

The Lok Ayukta issued a directive to forward the report in this connection to the Chief Secretary, the Transport Secretary and the State Transport Commissioner for initiating measures to eradicate corruption in the Motor Vehicles Department.

The Government had not come forward with any statement showing prosecution or any other judicial proceedings even after substantial amounts were recovered during the State-wide raid conducted by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau in the offices.

"Even after detecting corruption resorted to by the officers and staff in the Regional Transport Offices, if the higher authorities, including political executive, are not having the will to initiate effective steps to eradicate corruption, we are forced to come to the conclusion that corruption is being resorted to by the offices with the blessings of their superiors and the political executive. This trend has to be curbed and for that purpose, we wish that political executive may generate the political will," the order said.

Eyewash

On the statement of the Commissioner that department proceedings were initiated against corrupt officers attached to the RTO, Kollam, the Lok Ayukta said the action was "an eyewash to give the quietus the complaint voiced by the petitioner".

It has been pointed out that the Government ordered dropping of disciplinary charges against three officers in the RTO, Thiruvananthapuram, despite the recommendation of the Vigilance Department on the basis of the report of "Operation Maruti" conducted by the V&ACB.

As many as seven cases that were recommended for disciplinary action by the Vigilance were dropped. In three cases, punishment of censure was awarded and in another four cases, barring of annual increment was imposed.

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