Over 300 corruption complaints pending for over an year: CVC

As many as 50 complaints of alleged corruption, out of the over 300 such plaints, are pending investigation with Delhi government for over an year, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has said.
One complaint of alleged corruption is pending investigation for over an year with Prime Minister's Office also, it said.
As per rules, Chief Vigilance Officers (CVOs)-- who act as distant arm of the CVC to check corruption -- are required to furnish investigation reports on complaints sent to them for probe by the Commission within three months.
The CVC, however, observed that several complaints are pending for long periods with the CVOs. As many as 303 complaints of alleged corruption are pending investigation for over an year, the probity watchdog said in an order.

Of the total, 50 are pending with Delhi government, 31 with Department of Secondary and Higher Education, 19 with Defence Ministry, 11 each with Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and South Delhi Municipal Corporation, six each with Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Border Roads Development Board, and five with Delhi Jal Board (DJB).
Besides, four complaints of alleged graft are pending investigation for more than a year with Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), three each with Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as per a CVC data.

One such complaint is pending for investigation with All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Delhi Police, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Railway Ministry and Personnel Ministry (which forms anti-corruption policies for central government organisations), it said.

There are 83 other complaints which are pending investigation and report by various departments for more than six months but less than an year.
Of these, a highest of 14 are pending with Railway Ministry, seven with Defence Ministry, five each with CBDT and CBEC, four with Road Transport and Highways Ministry, three each with State Bank of India (SBI) and Bank of Maharashtra, and one each with CBI and MEA, among others.

The CVC has now sought details from the CVOs for the complaints pending investigations under two categories -- separately for those pending over an year and the others pending for over six months and less than an year -- by February 28 and March 31, respectively.
"In case the CVOs are not able to adhere to these time limits in any particular case, they shall submit the reasons for delay and expected time by which the report would be submitted to the Commission by March 31, 2017," the anti-corruption watchdog said in the directive issued to all departments seeking "strict compliance".