Vigilance Awareness Week from October 30 – November 4
Kohima, October 29 (MExN): Corruption is a threat to social, economic and political development, and is a result of human greed. Governor of Nagaland, PB Acharya, stated this in his message for the upcoming Vigilance Week.
To curb corruption, the Nagaland State Vigilance Commission, along with the rest of the Indian Union, will observe a ‘Vigilance Awareness Week’ from October 30 to November 4.
The theme will be ‘my vision—corruption free India.’ “In India factors such as excessive regulations, complicated tax and licensing systems, numerous government departments with opaque bureaucracy and discretionary powers, monopoly of government controlled institutions on certain goods and services delivery, and the lack of transparent laws and processes contribute to the prevalence of corruption,” stated the Governor of Nagaland in his message for the week.
Noting that “corruption has become a way of life in many parts” of the Union, he called for “concerted effort” to “stop this menace.”
The first step in tackling this, he noted, is to “change the mindset of the people by sensitizing the people about the ill- effects of corruption, how it negatively impacts the society as a whole.”
Further, he stated that the people must be made aware of their rights so that welfare schemes intended for the masses are not misappropriated. His message was made available today by Nagaland’s Department for Information & Public Relations.
“To tackle corruption, every Department should ensure transparency and accountability in functioning and have effective preventive measures to fight corruption,” stated the Governor of Nagaland.
All organizations, he said, should strive to eradicate corruption in their respective spheres of activities. Promotion of e-govemance and use of RTI, he felt, “will improve the accountability of the various Departments.”
However, he expressed concern towards the misuse of RTIs in Nagaland State “for personal gains.” Without substantiating the claim, he said that “This unhealthy practice should be stopped forthwith.”
Affirming that State Vigilance Commission has a “very important role in combating corruption,” the Nagaland State Governor held that “cases taken by the Commission will be brought to its logical conclusion to ensure that the corrupt officials are convicted and appropriate penalties be imposed as per the law.” He hoped that this will be a “deterrent” of corrupt practices in the State.
With the right “ideals and values,” the Governor said that “each individual must contribute not only in living a life of integrity but also play an active role in denouncing/preventing corruption.”
