Hyderabad: In a move to combat corruption, Commissioner of Marketing D. Sreenivasulu has opted for exclusive regional vigilance and enforcement wings in the department.

He has directed the wings to register criminal cases against persons indulging in unfair trade practices or cheating farmers through under-payments after purchasing the produce in the markets.

Speaking to The Hindu on Monday, Mr. Sreenivasulu said that officers of the ranks of Deputy Director would be entrusted with exclusive audit, vigilance and enforcement functions henceforth. They would be designated as Regional Vigilance and Enforcement Officers.

Complaints

The Commissioner said his office was being flooded with several complaints from the 301 agricultural market committees and an effective monitoring system was lacking all these days. The department now has fortnightly targets and a centralised cell headed by a Joint Director (Vigilance) to keep a tab on the performance.

Likewise, corruption cases would now be dealt at the departmental level as well handed over to the State Vigilance Commission. All cases where no action had been initiated within a month would be subjected to critical review now, he warned.

Cases of misappropriation detected in the market committees were not always referred to the Commission, he added. In addition, cases of irregularities committed by a team of officers or market functionaries were not properly probed. Now all such cases would be handed over the Commissionerate of Enquiries.

Transaction details

Mr. Sreenivasulu said administrative officers of market committees and its functionaries would have to furnish details of transactions every month to the Director of Marketing during inspections.

He has also instructed all officials to reduce fax and postal expenses by switching over to e-mail correspondence. Inspection tours by individuals are out and officials could now undertake only joint tours and austerity measures include cutting out lunch and dinner expenses during meetings.

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