Anti-graft agencies should be independent: DG&IGP Rupak Kumar Dutta
\"Nothing concrete has been done to prevent corruption, Dutta said.
Bengaluru: Karnataka police chief DG&IGP Rupak Kumar Dutta on Saturday stressed on the need for providing necessary independence to anti-corruption agencies to effectively combat corruption in the country.
In his talk ‘Anti-corruption mechanism in India’, organised by the Synergia Foundation, Dutta said that anti-corruption agencies ought to be free from undue political influence. While anti-corruption agencies are independent in most countries, it works under the government in India, he added. Commenting on the National Anti-corruption Strategy draft, Dutta said,
"Nothing concrete has been done to prevent corruption. A draft on National Anti-corruption Strategy which is aimed at serving as a concerted and coordinated approach to fighting corruption in India was made and put up on Centre Vigilance Commission's website, but it still remains a draft though years have passed," he pointed.
Dutta observed that though the country had anti-corruption agencies like CBI, State Vigilance Commission/Anti-corruption Bureau and Lokayukta, the cases of corruption were only being booked and not effectively taken up.
He felt the need for internal vigilance mechanism within the offices to combat corruption effectively. “Earlier there used to be internal vigilance coordination meeting on frequent intervals, but no such meetings are being held even once in a year of late,”Dutta said.
The police chief wondered the necessity of pre-requisite sanction of prosecution from the competent authority to prosecute a public servant in criminal cases, including under the Prevention of Corruption Act.