Check Supply Side Of Fraud

As part of the efforts to curb corruption in the government, the Central Vigilance Commissioner N Vittal has written to the leading industry chambers in India to control the "supply side of corruption".

Speaking to journalists at an informal meet yesterday, Vittal said he had written to industry chambers like the Confederation of Indian Industry, Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) on this matter.

He said he wanted them to play an active role in "controlling the supply side of corruption".

Vittal indicated that the industry was equally guilty in increasing the corruption levels in the government over the past few years and that efforts were underway to curb this problem.

 

Vittal said since independence, corruption had gone up at least three to four times and estimates show that extent of black money in the country was roughly 35 per cent of the gross domestic product.

In order to give better service to people dealing with the government, Vittal said he had made recommendations to amend the Constitution and give citizens right to get corruption free service.

He said he had written to the panel reviewing the Constitution and accord this as one of the fundamental rights.

Vittal said he was of the opinion that most of the officials working within the government were not genuinely corrupt, but were just too afraid to fight the system.

He said the commission's efforts to put the names of bureaucrats on the website had been well received and some action had been taken against some of the officials.

Without revealing any names he said the action was in terms of stopping the pension payments of these officials.

Vittal also said the commission was looking into some large capital intensive contracts undertaken by the government.