Cuttack: Days after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s call to abolish PC (percentage commission) culture in government offices, the vigilance directorate Saturday dedicated a toll-free number to receive complaints.
According to vigilance sources, the anti-corruption wing has taken up several measures to arrest corruption at the grassroots level, including the rural housing schemes, through active participation of the common man.
“Blocks and panchayat offices in the state are under vigilance scanner. In case a government official demands graft, the victims may call toll-free number 1064 or contact: www.twiter.com/odisha.vigilance (vigilance twitter page), www.facebook.com/odisha.vigilance (Facebook page) and email id- spvigcoord@gmail.com, vigilance director RP Sharma told reporters at the vigilance directorate here Saturday.
During a six-day special drive, launched to prevent unlawful practices by government staff in rural housing schemes which began June 25, the anti-corruption wing has begun a sou motu probe into 15 cases, while it has conducted surprise raids in six cases on the basis of public complaints.
This apart, the Vigilance department had registered four criminal cases — in Khaira block under Balasore and Bhuban block in Dhenkanal— against public servants for illegally allotting houses to bogus beneficiaries, misappropriation of funds released by the state government and demand of bribes to provide funds to actual beneficiaries of rural housing schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana (BPGY).
“As the panchayat executive officials and village workers play a key role in the distribution of the rural housing schemes, the anti-corruption wing of the Orissa police will keep a close vigil on them,” Sharma said.
According to sources, on the first day of the recently concluded three-day conference of district collectors, the Chief Minister advised the officials to stop PC culture at the block level. Alleging that the blocks are dens of corruption, the CM said the system has gone corrupt and no file moves without graft.
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