Govt mulling to bring changes in anti-graft act: Cabinet Secy

Centre is considering to make some changes in the Prevention of Corruption Act with regard to government officials and these will get implemented in coming months, Cabinet Secretary Ajit Kumar Seth said today.
Addressing a CII conference here, he said, "there are some amendments on anvil with regard to government officials under the Prevention of Corruption Act. In the coming months, we hope to implement it."
He, however, did not give any timeline or details of the proposed changes but said it could not get passed in the Parliament.
In the last session of the 15th Lok Sabha, the Prevention of Corruption Act (Amendment) Bill, 1988 was listed but it could not get passed. Later, the UPA government was considering to bring an ordinance but later dropped the idea.

Speaking on the occasion, two top bureaucrats, Planning Commission Secretary Sindhushree Khullar and Mines Secretary Anup Pujari, said that the working environment in the government has vitiated in recent times due to several probes and actions of various investigating agencies and the courts.
"I have often said to my colleagues if I get stranded in middle of night in some lonely road, I have a dozen of numbers whom I know I will call and they will come to help me.

"But if I ask for some official matters, to move something because it needs to be moved, then they will say: poochhenge, sochenge, office ka file aayega to dekhenge (we will see only when the file comes)," Khullar said.

She further said, "We all work in public interest with transparency, It is a question of how we are able to define public interest. It has become problematic these days."
Among the major changes proposed in the Prevention of Corruption Act (Amendment) Bill, 1988, an investigating agency will have to seek prior permission from the government before questioning a retired bureaucrat in a corruption case.
At present, there is no legal provision for investigating agencies to seek prior permissions to quiz a former government employee.