‘Fight against graft diluted as low-rank officers made CVOs’

VIGILANCE DEPT ASKS GOVT DEPS TO APPOINT SENIOR OFFICERS AS CVOS, PREFERABLY BELOW THE HODS

CHANDIGARH: The fight against corruption is becoming ineffective with some departments appointing low-rank officers as chief vigilance officers (CVOs), the Haryana’s vigilance department said on Tuesday.

Asking the state government departments and organisations to appoint officer of “appropriate level” as CVOs, preferably immediately below the heads of department (HoDs), the vigilance department said, directing that besides the names of CVOs, their address and mobile number be placed on their respective official websites.

A vigilance department spokesperson said a workshop of CVOs will be organised next month. “It has come to the notice that some departments have appointed very low rank officers as CVO, which renders the fight against corruption ineffective,” the vigilance department spokesperson said in a press release.

In engineering departments, the vigilance department said, where construction or technical matters are being handled, persons with technical background should be appointed as CVOs.

The vigilance department has also asked that the vigilance enquiries or complaints referred by the vigilance department and the complaints received by the departments or organisations relating to corruption be supplied to this department on quarterly basis in a prescribed pro forma.

“The quarterly returns should be provided to the vigilance department with effect from the quarter ending December 2017,” the VD has said.

The vigilance department further said all the departments will ensure that the names of CVOs are displayed permanently at the entrance of the office building and CVO’s office and the same should be complied by December 15, 2017.

All the administrative secretaries, heads of the departments, commissioners of Ambala, Hisar, Gurgaon, Karnal, Faridabad and Rohtak divisions, all deputy commissioners and managing directors, chief administrators of all boards and corporations have been asked to ensure compliance with these instructions, the spokesperson said.