600 graft cases lie incomplete
The TS vigilance and enforcement (V&E) and Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) are sitting for over seven years on 600 cases filed against public servants. The maximum duration to inquire, conclude probe and dispose of a case is two years.
Of the 600 cases, 400 were filed before state bifurcation, and are in different stages like inquiry pending, awaiting departmental inquiry and forwarded to the Vigilance Commission. The suspension of the accused had been revoked in many cases and they have been shifted to different posts within the department.
The cases included those in which the ACB had trapped the accused and those involving officials with disproportionate assets and the cases filed by the V&E over alleged irregularities in discharging official duties.
A large number officials against whom cases were filed by the ACB and V&E retired on superannuation, some of them as long as five years ago.
Those who completed five years since superannuation were spared under Rule 9 (2) (b) (II) of the AP Revised Pension Rules 1980. It says, "No further action is permissible against the retired government employees on completion of limitation period of four years from the date of FIR.” Even the Supreme Court passed a ruling that no action could be taken against retired employees.
The TS vigilance and enforcement panel (V&E) and AntiCorruption Bureau (ACB) are sitting on 600 cases for over seven years filed against public servants. The maximum duration to inquire, conclude investigation and dispose a case is two years.
A senior official from ACB on condition of anonymity said, “For every case, a procedure needs to be followed. Cases are stuck at different stages due to multiple reasons. The ACB seeks permission to prosecute the accused from departments concerned which in majority of cases are delayed and directed to departmental inquiry.” No official from V&E was willing to comment.
There was an appeal by the Telangana Udyugula Sangam (TUS), an association of gazetted officers, to the Chief Minister to appoint a one-man commission of inquiry on all the pending ACB and V&E inquiries with necessary guidelines. They wanted all pending files across government departments relating to ACB cases to be examined in detail.
“On completion of the process, the TS government can pass necessary orders in the interest of social justice. With this, all pending cases can be disposed. Also, this is consistent with the assurance given by the CM before the 2014 elections at public meetings”, said TUS president Padma Chary.