MNS:- Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has said that investigation agencies need to continuously upgrade their skills and techniques to match the newer methods being adopted for corrupt activities. Inaugurating the 19th Conference of CBI and State Anti-Corruption Bureaux at New Delhi today, the Prime Minister said the theme for this conference, Economic Development: Role of Anti-corruption Agencies, is worth exploring since anti-corruption agencies need to keep pace with new modi-operandi used in corrupt activities as the country becomes more integrated with the global economy.
While reiterating the Government’s commitment to fight the menace of corruption in every possible way, the Prime Minister stressed upon the need to protect honest public servants and keep the morale of the executive intact. He said , the mindless atmosphere of negativity and pessimism that is sought to be created over the issue of corruption can do the country no good. Dr. Singh emphasized that there is need to ensure that while the corrupt are relentlessly pursued, the innocent are not harassed. The importance of making a distinction between bonafide mistakes and colorable exercise of power in investigation of corruption cases is essential, he said.
The Prime Minister stated that several measures to curb corruption have been initiated which include putting in place a system in which benefits from the government would get transferred directly to bank accounts of beneficiaries of social sector schemes. He said amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act, are being examined in order to bring it in line with current international practice. He said an unambiguous definition for the term ‘corruption’, covering both the supply and demand sides, is being sought to be provided. Consensual bribery, and corporate failure to prevent bribery as a new offence would be taken care of in the proposed amendments under consideration, he added. Dr. Singh urged the CBI and other anti-corruption agencies to feel free to engage professionals who have the expertise to assist them in conducting an impartial enquiry in complex cases.
In his address to the Conference, Union Minister of State for Personnel, Shri V Narayanasamy said that CBI has repeatedly proved its credentials as the premier investigation agency of the country. He said that with the growing workload over CBI, it is imperative that some techniques be devised to meet this increasing load, for which the Government will provide all logistical support to CBI to meet the added demands for their investigative framework.
Shri Narayanasamy said that with economic development, there is need to be vigilant to thwart the nefarious designs of unscrupulous elements who may like to short-circuit the system. He said the CBI and state anti corruption agencies are the most visible arms of the system, and the seriousness of the Government to fight corruption is gauged by the performance of these agencies.
Director CBI Shri Amar Pratap Singh said co-ordination between the CBI and the State Anti Corruption Bureaus has produced very successful results, and said that the collective drive against corruption would be far more effective, if this cooperation is strengthened.
Shri A P Singh emphasized that the rationale behind any vigilance activity is not to reduce, but to enhance the effectiveness of the government delivery mechanism. He said that the CBI has at present a capacity to investigate about 1000 cases every year, but his figure has been static for the past two decades owing to constraints of manpower. Shri Singh said that in view of the large number of cases being assigned to CBI by Courts, increasing demands from States for CBI probe as well as growing economic offences and bank fraud cases, there is an urgent need to increase the capacity of the organization to investigate at least another additional 1000 cases in a year.
Director CBI said that it should be ensured that the guilty are not only punished adequately, but also promptly. He added that that with the government sanctioning creation of 71 additional exclusive CBI courts for trial of anti-corruption cases, 66 of which are functional, the time lag between filing of charge sheets and securing of judgments is already showing a decreasing trend.
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