Vigilance Commissioner K.T Sukhalu, (Retd) IAS maintained that the judiciary should be given more independence so as to be proactive on issues related with corruption while the law and order machinery should be given freedom to function without political interference.
Sukhalu said this during the observance of Vigilance Week by the Nagaland State Vigilance Commission under the theme “My Vision-Corruption Free India” at the SVC directorate Monday. Sukhalu suggested that special courts should be set up to take up corruption issues and speedy trails should be held.
He pointed out that since government was the single biggest employer and service provider in the state, corruption within its rank automatically translated into a society’s wide problem.
Sukhalu further stated that both public and government are responsible for the mass corruption in the state resulting in failure of the system. He added that laws and legislations alone cannot end the corruption unless the citizens abide by ruled in letter and spirit.
He listed several wrongs in society which Nagas were too familiar with uch as – cheating in exams, exam paper leaks, poorly constructed bridges, roads and buildings by contractors, banks and finance scams, doctors prescribing unnecessary medicines and surgeries, proxy teachers, ghost employees, social organizations discerning genuine public grievances for individual gains etc.
He regretted that Nagas seek shortcuts in life, even to the extent of circumventing the system and bribery which has become an accepted norm in the form of “commissions’ which were being openly demanded by bureaucrats, politicians, various organizations. He said even RTI applicants misuse the Act for individual gains.
Further he said the general perception of the public was that the root of corruption lay in elections while many social organizations including church have started campaigns to raise awareness on the importance and long term consequences of clean elections.
Sukhalu however said the fight against corruption should be taken beyond the electoral process and into the daily habits of the citizens. He advocated on sensitisation on corruption, make public aware of the dangers of corruption and the moral rot that was brought into the society. He reminded that corruption was not only the backdoor appointments, multi-crore scams but also bribery, cheating, submission of false completion certificates by VDB’s and village councils for developmental projects etc.
The commissioner informed that corruption was at all levels requires the public from all walks of life to be vigilant in the fight against it. Director and DIGP vigilance and anti-corruption police I. Meyionen in his address on commission’s achievement from 2016-17 informed that there were 83 cases under investigation with various departments.
In this Health and Family Welfare topped the list with 15 cases, School Education and PWD (R&B) and Works & Housing with 10 cases each, RD 9, police department with 5 cases, Four cases in Transport, three each PHED, Tourism, Taxes, Power, two in Municipal Affairs. There were also one case each in DUDA, Youth Resource, Forest, horticulture, Fire &ES, Urban Development, Soil & Water Conservation, Disaster Management, Land Records and Survey, private firms, Nagaland Bamboo Development agency and Fisheries.
Meyionen also informed that the total number of cases registered in both PE & RC was 41 and 35 cases were disposed while one person was terminated from service and an amount of Rs. 1,79,85,661 was recovered during investigation.
Dy. SP, Vikono Peseyie and B. Phongtan Phom read out the messages of the Governor P.B. Acharya and the Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang respectively.
The programme was chaired by secretary, Vigilance Commission, Sehjang Doungel while the vote of thanks was proposed by SP, T. Holtoh Yeptho. The vigilance commissioner also administered the pledge to the participants.