Kerala govt to give teeth to VACB

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government is planning to bring in a Vigilance Establishment Act to give statutory powers to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB).

A draft law on the lines of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act is being prepared by the VACB in consultation with the Law Department.

According to sources, the main objective of the proposed Act is to give statutory powers to the anti-corruption agency, which is now governed by the Vigilance manual. Moreover, the proposed Act would also prescribe specific tenure to the Vigilance director. But the government would be given powers to remove the Vigilance director in case of instances like any undesirable acts.

The proposed Act would not provide for any specific selection process for the Vigilance director, but would prescribe that an officer in the rank of DGP or ADGP could be made the Vigilance director, said government sources.

Meanwhile, the LDF's announcement to set up a State Vigilance Commission on the lines of the Central Vigilance Commission is still on papers. The Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) chaired by former chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan also recommended that SVC should be set up with priority. Even then no steps were taken for the purpose.

The ARC proposed that the SVC may be headed by a retired or serving high court judge and shall have a retired chief secretary or additional chief secretary and a retired DGP or ADGP as its members. The SVC could supervise the functioning of VACB and give suggestions.