CVC reports a 100 per cent jump in corruption complaints in 2012

NEW DELHI (TIP: It’s a record thatwill bring a smile to the faces of AnnaHazare and likes. Their anticorruptionagitation might not havebrought down the level ofirregularities in the country, but itseems to have given people thecourage to report corrupt practicesthey witness or suffer in their dailylives.In 2012, the Central VigilanceCommission (CVC) received 37, 175complaints against “corrupt”individuals in powerful positions,more than 100 complaints a day.

Thisis a jump of more than 100 per centfrom 2011 when 17,407 complaintswere received by the anti-corruptionwatchdog.The data compiled by the CVC inthe past four years indicate that moreand more people have decided to takeon the corrupt rather than obligingthem. Since 2008, the number ofcomplaints has increased almost fourtimes. But last year, the numbers roseenormously, courtesy the anticorruptionwave that gripped thecountry.Records with the commissionindicate that banking fraud makes forthe maximum number of corruptioncases. According to the data, almost 30per cent of the cases being monitoredby agencies like CBI are related toswindling of money in governmentbanks.

The CVC monitorsinvestigation into cases referred by itto the CBI.Central Vigilance CommissionerPradeep Kumar said the increase incorruption complaints can also beattributed to the “increasingcredibility” of institutions. “More andmore people are willing to comeforward to expose corruption. Thepublic is more proactive and it’s agood sign. This has resulted in somebig corruption cases beinginvestigated,” he said.”Some initiatives by us like projectVijay that facilitates an individualmake a complaint by dialing a numberhas helped the people lodge theirgrievance without appearing inperson,” Kumar added.

Many complaints received by theCVC are outside its purview. There area high number of cases where thecomplaints relate to corruption instate governments. Since the CVConly deals with corruption in centralgovernment, these are forwarded tothe states and departments concerned.”People are not always aware oftechnicalities and send theircomplaints here. We inform the stategovernments so that they can takeappropriate action,” the CVC added.”There seems to be an increase intrust that grievances will beresponded to. It shows more peopleare willing to report to agencies. Morereporting is a deterrent in itself,”former IPS officer and anti-corruptioncrusader Kiran Bedi, said.

The pressure from the civil societyand the Supreme Court has pushedthe government to show an urgencyto grant prosecution sanctions togovernment officials. According toCVC data till 2012, there are only 22cases involving 40 centralgovernment officials where sanctionis pending for more than fourmonths.According to SC guidelines, aprosecution sanction should not bepending for more than four months.The number has come down by halfsince the end of 2010.