Court reprieve not to work in Bihar for corrupt officials

Corrupt officials in Bihar will not get protection in the state and have to face punishment even if they secure reprieve from a court.
The Chief Minister has issued instruction that "in case a corrupt official is released by a court, the department head should suspend the official and dismiss him on the basis of misconduct," Chief Secretary Ashok Kumar Sinha said.
The government would dismiss more than 200 corrupt officers and employees on the charge of corruption within the next two months, Sinha said in a statement here after a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Kumar directed Principal Secretaries, Secretaries of the departments and DMs and SPs to initiate departmental proceedings against corrupt officials and dismiss them.

"The sword of suspension is hanging on the heads of 576 corrupt officials," he told reporters after the meeting.
Sinha said the chief minister stressed on strengthening the vigilance system on the lines of the CBI.

A vigilance officer would be appointed in every department and in districts, a civil official and one police official would be authorised as vigilance officials who would work under vigilance commissioner, he said.
The CM said whistle blowers on corruption would be rewarded and helpline service in every department should start within 15 days.
The CM observed during the meeting that while in other places corruption runs from top to lower level, in Bihar corruption is prevailing at lower layer.

DMs would be given special power to remove corrupt BDOs and Circle Officers and initiate penal action against them, Sinha said adding the chief minister directed DMs and SPs to meet people at least for one hour every day to know about their problems.
Giving details of action so far, Sinha said since 2006 disproportionate asset (DA) and other cases has been registered against 880 persons out of which chargesheet has been filed against 859.
Director General of Police, Abhyanand said 42 corrupt policemen have been shown the door out of 53 cases.