'Selective approach' in deciding corruption cases irks CVC

Several recommendations of the Central Vigilance Commission for punishing corrupt officials were not followed by different government departments including ONGC and MEA.
According to CVC's annual report for 2013, there were 17 such instances during the last year where organizations let off delinquent officials without punishment or with lighter penalties.
Of these, four cases were involving officials of Delhi Development Authority (DDA), three from Ministry of Railways, and two each of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC).
The selective approach was found in one case each of officials of Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), LIC Housing Finance Ltd, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), State Bank of India and Bureau of Indian Standards, the report noted.

"Instances of some organizations letting off delinquent officials without punishment or with lighter penalties conveys wrong signals to the entire organisational set-up that wrong- doers can go scot-free and emboldens other officers also to resort to abuse of their position or powers.
"Whenever such cases come to the Commission's notice, its concerns are conveyed to the organizations," the report said.
Citing examples, it said that irregularities were found in tenders for hiring multi support vehicle at an estimated cost of Rs 1,040 crore for a period of five years in ONGC. Following its investigation, a Group General Manager and two General Managers were imposed minor penalty of 'censure' by the disciplinary authority i.E. CMD, ONGC.

"Subsequently, on appeals preferred by the two officials, the appellate authority i.E. ONGC board decided to exonerate all the three officials including the third officer who did not choose to prefer an appeal," the report said citing instance of "selective approach" by ONGC.