Delhi LG Saxena reviews performance, functioning of Vigilance Department
Apr 06, 2023
New Delhi [India], April 6 : Delhi LG, VK Saxena has reviewed the performance of the Vigilance Department, GNCTD with regard to the disposal/pendency of cases and stricter enforcement to curb corruption and prevalent malpractices in government offices, Raj Niwas said in a statement on Thursday.
The review meeting, on Wednesday, came following the last meeting held on August 30, 2022, wherein the LG had directed to put in place a foolproof mechanism against corruption and seamless coordination between various agencies including Delhi Police and Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in dealing with corruption cases.
Those present in the meeting included the Chief Secretary who is also the Director of Vigilance, Spl. CP (Vigilance), Delhi Police, Jt. CP (ACB) and Chief Vigilance Officer (CVOs) of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC).
While reviewing the steps taken by the Vigilance Department to mitigate corruption in various departments prone to go between touts taking visiting people for a ride, the LG issued a slew of directions to bring greater transparency in such government offices. The LG issued instructions for regular surprise checks and raids to be conducted in such offices that included the Sub Registrar office, Transport, Trade & Taxes and Excise amongst others.
LG Saxena laid emphasis on making the Sub Registrar offices corruption free, so as to cause minimum inconvenience and harassment to the people at large. To this effect, he directed to bring the entire area in all Sub Registrar offices under the surveillance of CCTV cameras the feed of which will be brought directly to the Central Command & Control Centre.
He was informed that following his directions in the last meeting, for the first time in the country, an Online Complaint Information Management System (OCIMS) had been developed that would enable online registration of complaints in corruption cases. The portal is developed by NIC will also have provisions for the complainants to upload photographic/video/audio evidence online along with their complaints.
The LG directed officers to ensure a fine balance between the corrupt and the guilty being punished and the sincere and honest not being harassed through frivolous complaints by vested interests. In order to prevent any misuse of this online complaint portal, the LG directed making and uploading of evidence mandatory for the registration of any complaint. He also directed making the Aadhar authentication of complainants/users mandatory.
At the same time, the complainant will be required to submit an e-affidavit undertaking that all information provided in the complaint is factually correct. This is essentially being done to ensure that only genuine complainants lodge their complaints and that the investigating agencies/officers are not flooded with frivolous complaints.
In another path-breaking move aimed at mitigating corruption and harassment of citizens in Sub Registrar offices, the LG asked for the entire Delhi to be declared as a single district for the purpose of registration of properties, in line with a similar step taken in Andhra Pradesh in 2015. This would enable any person to get the property registered from any Sub Registrar office in the Capital rather than going to specific offices.
"This move is expected to put an effective check over malpractices. Further, the issuance of NOCs by the Revenue Department regarding the status of a particular land will also be made online in a faceless module, thereby eliminating any human interface," the statement read further.
In the meeting, the LG also directed that the scrutiny in Trade & Taxes Department be made completely faceless and all stipends, pensions, scholarships, etc. to be paid only through DBT in an online mode.
