Kejriwal to crack whip on officers with 'doubtful integrity'

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has devised a unique way to crack down on corrupt officials within his government–a promise that had played a crucial role in bringing his party to power with an overwhelming majority early this year.

Already crippled by a dispute with the Centre over the control of Delhi's anti-corruption wing, the vigilance department of the AAP administration is cracking down on corrupt officials, by seeking a list of gazetted officers with 'doubtful integrity' for year 2015-16, from all departments.

The head of each department has been entrusted with the job of identifying such officers within their department and forwarding the list to the vigilance department. The details will have to be mentioned in a set proforma, attached with the letter.

The decision has not gone down well with many senior officials of Delhi government.

According to sources, the vigilance department officials will keep a close watch on those officers whose names have featured in the 'doubtful integrity' list, while they will be temporarily kept away from major assignments.
The vigilance department had first sought the list from the departments on August 28, this year, and the departments were to submit the list by September 14.

However, following a poor response from all departments, the department has sent a reminder notice asking the departments take the notice on top priority to send the list by October 10, failing which the information will be considered NIL from the department concerned. According to sources, only nine departments have sent their responses.

Kejriwal has also joined hands with CBI; they are in the process of jointly preparing a separate 'agreed list' which will feature names of officials against whom sufficient evidences have come forth. Such officers would be facing a huge setback in their careers as they would be compulsorily not given any important, sensitive assignments, as against the 'doubtful integrity' list who will be under the vigilance department's watchful eye.

The move has sent shock waves in a section of the bureaucracy. A senior official working with the Delhi government said that heads of departments may use this opportunity to settle scores by naming officers in the list, against whom they have personal grudges. "Careers of such officers may be doomed because of no fault of theirs," the official said.

Another senior official said on the other hand, HODs will hesitate naming any officer in the list, for if the names leak, the officer concerned will hold a personal grudge against the HOD for damaging his/her career.

However, highly-placed sources said even if a department sends a NIL list to the vigilance department, officials would keep still a watchful eye on certain officers based on their intelligence gathering mechanism. Sources say ever since the Kejriwal government has taken over Delhi, corruption instances has become fewer, albeit more lucrative.

"Since risks have gone up manifold now and more hands are exchanging the money, the amount has also gone way up," a source said.

"Certain departments, mostly those associated directly with revenue, such as VAT, excise, property registration among others, have also been engaging touts in corruption which has been increasingly making it difficult to nab corrupt officials," said an official.

Reminder notice
The vigilance department had first sought the list from the departments on August 28, this year, and the departments were to submit the list by September 14. However, following a poor response from all departments, the department has sent a reminder notice asking the departments take the notice on top priority to send the list by October 10, failing which the information will be considered NIL from the department concerned. According to sources, only nine departments have sent their responses.