In order to strengthen its anti-corruption mechanism, the AAP Government has appointed eight vigilance officers, each headed by special secretary/additional secretary rank officer to keep tab on 60 departments of Delhi Government.
The document, accessed by The Pioneer, revealed that former DIP director FO Hashmi who was holding the charge of special secretary (health and family welfare) will look after the work of vigilance officer of health and family welfare, directorate of health services, all hospitals, drugs control and food safety and ISM&H.
Special Commissioner Food and Supplies SB Shashank has been assigned the job of vigilance officer to keep track on Transport, Information and Publicity, labour, Employment, RCS, UTCS, Tourism and DSSB. Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board secretary too has been tasked the job of the Vigilance Officer to keep tab on Revenue, Development, Agriculture Marketing, Industries, Election, Economics and Statistics departments.
Secretary (DSSSB) and Special Commissioner (Industries) Ajay Kumar Garg will look after the work of vigilance officer of Revenue Department, Development, Directorate of Agriculture Marketing, Industries, Election and Directorate of Economics and Statistics.
Additional Secretary (North DMC) VK Beniwal will look after the work of vigilance of Education, NCC, Archives, Archaeology, Art, Culture & language and Higher Education.
Special Secretary (Finance) DP Dwivedi will also look after the work of vigilance officer of Home, Delhi Prisons, Home Guards & Civil Defence, Fire, Forensic laboratory, Prosecution, law Justice and legislative Affairs, Administrative Reforms and Information Technology, GAD and Audit and Planning.
Special Commissioner (Trade and Taxes) DK Mishra, will look after the work of vigilance officer of VAT, Excise, Entertainment, Food and Supplies, Weights and Measurements, Principal Accounts Office and Gurudwara elections. Special Secretary Bl Sharma will look into PWD, Irrigation and Flood, land & Building and Power. Special Secretary ZU Siddiqui will look vigilance officer of Social Welfare, WCD, SC/ST/OBC Commission, Environment, TTE and College of Art and DIPSAR.
The Government’s move to post eight bureaucrats as the Vigilance officers is reportedly in line with its efforts to set up a parallel Anti-Corruption Branch to keep tab on the corrupt officers in the city administration. Ever since Joint Commissioner of Police MK Meena was appointed as the ACB head by lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung against the wishes of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Government has been making all out efforts to strengthen its Vigilance Wing.
The administration has already ordered that the Vigilance Officers would handle only vigilance related complaints and would not be tasked with any other departmental work. It has directed that officers deputed in the vigilance wing should not be given any other work by any department so that they could fully concentrate on their vigilance monitoring.