GOVERNMENT WAKES UP

Even as the CBI fires rage, the Centre has reportedly begun framing guidelines to handle grievances against the central vigilance commissioner ( CVC). Due to the warring chieftains in the CBI, the Supreme Court asked the Central Vigilance Commission, which exercises its watch over the CBI in corruption matters, to complete within two weeks its inquiry into allegations against director Alok Verma.

Surprisingly, until now there are no guidelines to handle complaints against the CVC, according to the Personnel Ministry. This fact came to light following an RTI application filed by whistle- blower babu Sanjiv Chaturvedi. The babu had sought copies of correspondences from the Personnel Ministry related to a plea filed by him last year with the President’s secretariat. In the plea, Mr Chaturvedi had invoked Section 6 of the CVC Act that empowers the President to refer cases of allegations of misconduct against the CVC for enquiry by Supreme Court. Mr Chaturvedi had alleged that the CVC closed cases of corruption involving senior functionaries in Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences ( AIIMS).