Odisha Lokayukta Member Justice Bijaya Kumar Nayak has stressed the need of having integrity as a way of life for everybody in every sphere of life and at every point in time so as to usher in an honest, fearless, steadfast and righteous India.
Speaking at a public awareness meeting here on Monday on the occasion of Vigilance Awareness Week, the retired judge of Orissa High Court called upon the people to vehemently raise their voice against any form of corruption witnessed in the society.
The meeting, organised for the first time here by the State Vigilance Directorate on the occasion of its annual awareness week, was also addressed by other Lokayukta Members, former IPS officer Dr Rajendra Prasad Shrama and former IFS officer Dr Debabrata Swain.
Sharma, who had also headed the Vigilance wing of the State police, spoke at length about the mechanisms in place to prevent corruption by public servants. He, however, rued the fact that the society has not been able to fight corruption effectively.
Dr Swain expressed concern over the fact that the Odisha Lokayukta Act doesn’t have any provision to protect the identities of the complainants. He was of the opinion of at least initiating inquiries on the basis of allegations made by anonymous complainants.
Vigilance Director Dr Debasis Panigrahi detailed about the innovative steps taken by his directorate this year to spread awareness among the public, particularly among school and college students, to inculcate a sense of integrity in every aspect of life.
He said the directorate has taken an initiative in setting up “Integrity Clubs” in schools and colleges to instil moral values in the young minds of the future citizens. “This will go a long way in fighting against the menace of corruption,” he hoped.