Don\'t spare corrupt, don\'t be defensive: PM to CVC and anti-corruption agencies

NEW DELHI: Lending support to the anti-corruption agencies Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that they "need not be defensive" while tackling graft, even when some people with "vested interests" will try to obstruct and defame individuals associated with these institutions.

Addressing the "Vigilance Awareness Week" organised by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) in Vigyan Bhavan here, the Prime Minister said that institutions acting against the corrupt and corruption like the CVC have no need to be defensive in any way.

Stressing that there is no requirement to work on any political agenda, Modi said work towards making the lives of ordinary citizens simpler. He said, "Those who have vested interests will try to obstruct the proceedings and defame individuals associated with these institutions. But ‘Janta Janardan’ is the form of God; they know and test the truth and when the time comes, they stand with those in support of the truth."

The Prime Minister said that everyone should walk the path of truth to fulfil their duties with dedication and emphasised that when you take action with conviction, the whole nation stands with you.

Modi exhorted the CVC, other agencies and officers to ensure that the corrupt should not be spared. "No matter how powerful the corrupt may be, they should not be saved under any circumstances; it is the responsibility of organisations like you (CVC). No corrupt person should get political-social support; every corrupt person should be put in the dock by society. It is also necessary to create this environment," he said.

Touching upon a worrying trend of glorifying the corrupt, the Prime Minister said, "We have seen that many times the corrupt people are glorified in spite of being jailed even after being proven to be corrupt. This situation is not good for Indian society. Even today, some people give arguments in favour of the corrupt who have been found guilty. It is necessary for such people, such forces to be made aware of their duty by society. In this, too, concrete action taken by your department has a big role."

Modi said "abhaav" (scarcity or lack of amenities) and "dabaav" (undue pressure from the government) are two key reasons behind corruption that is hindering people's progress.

"For a long time, this absence of amenities and opportunity was deliberately kept alive and the gap was allowed to widen, leading to an unhealthy competition of a zero-sum race. This race fed the ecosystem of corruption. Corruption created by this scarcity affects the poor and middle classes the most," Modi said.

He asked if the poor and middle class spend their energies on arranging for the basic amenities, then how will the country progress?

"That is why we have been trying to change this system of scarcity and pressure for the last 8 years. The government is trying to fill the gap between supply and demand. The three ways adopted to achieve this are advancement in technology, taking basic services to saturation level and finally heading towards ‘atmanirbharta’," he said.

The Prime Minister mentioned linking PDS to technology, removing crores of fake beneficiaries and saving more than `2 lakh crores from going into the wrong hands. He said the adoption of Direct Benefit Transfer, transparent digital transactions and transparent government procurement through GeM is making a huge difference.

The Prime Minister called for a system where corruption-related disciplinary proceedings are completed in time-bound mission mode. He also suggested continuous monitoring of criminal cases and a method of ranking departments on the basis of pending corruption cases and publishing the related reports on a monthly or quarterly basis.

Modi said the will that the government is showing against corruption need to be seen in all the departments as well. "For a developed India, we have to develop an administrative ecosystem that has zero tolerance for corruption," he said.

The Prime Minister launched the CVC's new complaint management system portal to provide end-to-end information to the citizens through regular updates on the status of their complaints.

He also released a series of pictorial booklets on "Ethics and Good Practices," a compilation of best practices on "Preventive Vigilance" and a special issue of "VIGEYE VANI" on public procurement.

Modi also gave awards to five students who wrote the best essays during a nationwide essay competition conducted by the CVC on the theme of Vigilance Awareness Week, "Corruption-free India for a developed nation".