AAP Govt makes a move to take control of ACB

The Arvind Kejriwal Government is now all set to flex its muscles to take control of the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) by directing vigilance section of each department to furnish details about the steps they had taken to reduce corruption in the national Capital. In a circular to all the departments, secretary-cum-director vigilance Sukesh Kumar Jain has sought not only the details about the officers who had been posted in their respective vigilance section, but also steps they had taken to reduce corruption in Delhi. Jain said the circular should be accorded top priority as the same had to be put up before chief secretary KK Sharma.

The ongoing tussle between the Kejriwal Government and Raj Niwas over control of  the ACB had reached its crescendo with Jain directing Joint Commissioner of Police Mukesh Kumar Meena to look after the training branch of the department. But Meena had refused to do so saying he had been appointed as the ACB head by none other than the lieutenant Governor himself. 

He had even gone a step ahead by issuing summons to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's trusted lieutenant and principal secretary Rajendra Kumar and a dozen others in the transport fitness scam. The Delhi Government too had reacted by ordering a commission of enquiry into the scam.A senior officer said the AAP Government was yet to acknowledge Meena as the head of the ACB. "That's precisely why the Government website still says that additional commissioner of police SS Yadav was the head of the ACB."

The Directorate of Vigilance & Anti Corruption deals with disciplinary cases against delinquent gazetted officers of all departments under the Delhi Government. Complaints against gazetted/non-gazetted employees received from various sources are also processed by the department. In regard to specific serious irregularities, investigation is done through Anti Corruption Branch, which also conducts surveillance and apprehends corrupt public servants by laying traps and raids which are presented in the Criminal Court.