Delhi Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) Vinai Kumar Saxena has taken a serious view of procedural lapses and delays by investigating agencies like the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) and the Directorate of Vigilance (DoV) in the course of an investigation into complaints/cases of corruption against Government officials.
He has also expressed displeasure over administrative departments not furnishing or delaying comments sought by the investigating agencies in complaints against their officials.
As per a statement released by Raj Niwas, to know the reason behind the pendency of corruption cases, the L-G has called upon the officers concerned of the ACB for an explanation regarding matters, which are pending for more than one year and directed the department to furnish a list of pending cases along with the reason of pendency.
“Saxena also issued strict instructions to the DoV and all departments concerned to consider all cases and complaints referred to them for comments and examination and directed them to ensure that the same are provided within a fixed time-frame after judicious application of mind,” it said.
“There were many cases of investigation pending since 2012 till 2017, in others, the administrative departments had not furnished their comments and in some the DoV had submitted self-contradictory recommendations for grant of sanction,” it read.
“Saxena advised the DoV to ensure that requests from the ACB are submitted for his consideration only after due diligence by the administrative departments concerned against whose official the complaint has been made,” the statement said. “The L-G also directed that the comments of the administrative department should be put on record without any failure and it should be ensured that the recommendations made by various agencies are to the farthest possible extent, not in variance of each other and are not self- contradictory,” it said.
“The L-G has underlined that while this will ensure speedy disposal of cases on one hand it will also ensure justice to the complainant as well as respondent,” the statement further added.
The L-G’s move came in the wake of several cases of alleged corruption against Government officials that were put up to him and displayed serious non-application of mind and inordinate delays by the departments and agencies concerned.