83 cases under investigation by SVC, H&FW tops the list
Our Correspondent
Kohima | October 30
With 15 cases out of 83 cases, the department of Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) Nagaland has the highest number of cases under investigation by the State Vigilance Commission (SVC).
Out of this, 8 cases were under preliminary enquiry (PE) while 7 were regular cases (RE).
This was highlighted in the SVC’s 2016-17 Report during observance of ‘Vigilance Awareness Week here today.
The department is followed by the School Education and PWD (R&B) & (Works & Housing) with 10 cases respectively. The other cases were: Rural Development -9; Police Department- 5;Transport -4; Power, Taxes, Irrigation & Flood Control, PHE- 3 each; Municipal Affairs and Various Departments- 2 each; Forest, Horticulture, Fire Department, Urban Development, Soil & Water Conservation, Disaster Management, Tourism, Land Records & Survey, Private Firms, Nagaland Bamboo Development Agency, DUDA, Youth Resources, and Unknown – 1 each.
Highlighting the State Vigilance Commission’s achievement from November 1, 2016 - October 30, 2017, the Director & DIGP, Vigilance & Anti-Corruption Police, I Meyionen mentioned that the number of cases registered in both PE & RC is 41 and the number of cases under investigation and number of cases under trial in the court/tribunal proceedings stands at 83 and 18 respectively.
While 35 cases dispose-off, 17 persons were served with administrative warning, he said adding that recommendations made to various departments on different cases were also accepted.
These recommendations were submitted to PWD (R&B) Kohima, Medical Department, Youth Resources Department, School Education, Power and AG Kohima.
Interestingly, only 1 person was terminated from service while only 1 accused was convicted/imposed fine by the vigilance court. 2 persons were convicted by the Court and 1 person acquitted.
The amount imposed/fine by the Vigilance Court stands Rs. 49,000 whereas the amount recovered during investigation is Rs. 1, 79, 85,661.
There were also threes cases in PWD (R&B) and Irrigation & Flood Control, where incomplete works/abandoned projects were completed after investigation, the SVC report said.
Four cases of family pension claims were either not genuine or fake, and investigation reports were submitted to AG office for initiating necessary action.
Corruption has become an accepted norm, says SVC Commissioner Earlier, the State Vigilance Commissioner KT Sukhalu, IAS (Rtd) said that corruption is not a new phenomenon in Naga society.
“Our state debt has consistently been on the rise and yet insufficiencies of funds continue to chronically debilitate our policy implementation. It is perhaps oversimplifying the problem but the underlying cause is the fact that the Naga conscience is no longer able to withstand Naga dishonesty,” he said.
He mentioned that both public and the government are equally responsible for mass corruption.
“It is unfortunate that we all are familiar with issues like cheating in examination, poorly executed bridges, roads and buildings, banks and finance scams, prescribing unnecessary medicines and surgeries, proxy teachers, ghost employees, social organizations discrediting genuine public grievances for individual gains,” he added. Corruption is an all pervasive issue and it has become such an accepted norm in our society, Sukhalu maintained.
He also lauded the social organisations including the churches for creating awareness on the importance and long term consequences of clean elections with the general perception of the public that the root of corruption lies in elections.
However, the fight against corruption should be taken beyond the electoral process, the Commissioner noted.
Judiciary should be given more independence and special courts should be set up to tackle the practice of corruption, he suggested.
Sukhalu also added that corruption is not confined to backdoor appointment and multi crore scams alone but it includes bribery, cheating, submission of false certificates. “We cannot bring about a corruption free Nagaland through legislation but it requires bold and determined effort from the general public to achieve a corruption free Nagaland.”
