CVC to write to government for speedy sanction for prosecution

NEW DELHI: The Central Vigilance Commission has written to over a dozen government departments to clear cases where sanction has been sought for prosecution against senior officials working with them.

CVC sources said that there has been a delay in many cases beyond considerable time for grant of sanction for prosecution against corrupt government officials. The permission to prosecute such officials acts as a deterrent in the drive to eradicate corruption and bring transparency in the system.

According to the latest data, there are 28 cases of sanction for prosecution against senior bureaucrats which are pending with 17 ministries or central government departments including banks for over four months.

Of these, the highest figure of 10 is in the Ministry of Finance followed by three of the Ministry of Human Resources Development, two of the Ministry of Personnel and Public Grievances and one each from State Bank of India, Bank of India, Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI), the Ministry of Railways, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Ministry of Steel among others.

Whereas, the CVC has sought sanction for prosecution against one officials each working with the ministries of Labour, Health and Family Welfare, Shipping, Defence and Law and Justice and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, the data said.

"A list giving details of the 28 officials against whom the sanction for prosecution is pending for over four months has also been put up on the Commission's website," a CVC official said.

He said that the ministries or departments concerned are regularly reminded to clear the cases seeking sanction for prosecution. "We will write to them again," the official added.

While hearing a case today, the Supreme Court held that sanction would be deemed to be granted if the competent authority fails to take a decision within a period of four months.