The Odisha government led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been not only cracking down on corruption in a big way but also sensitizing the officials of various departments about ensuring complete transparency during the process. That is the best way of tackling the menace of graft.
With zero tolerance for corruption being its motto, the government has done well to come out with the 5T formula of governance with Chief Minister’s secretary VK Pandian, who also happens to be the state’s first 5T secretary, leading the war against graft from the front.
The importance being attached to the sensitization programme is obvious from many things. Recently, Vigilance Director Y K Jethwa addressed a training programme for engineers where he called upon them to improve their performance to achieve the goal of transparency as part of the government’s “Mo Sarkar and 5T” policy.
Speaking at the two-day training programme-cum-workshop on anti-corruption laws for the officers of engineering departments, Jethwa emphasized the need to follow preventive vigilance in the domain of the working system and stop any wilful wrong being committed by the subordinate staff.
The training programme was specially designed to sensitize the engineers on preventive vigilance provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 in tendering of projects, procurement and execution of projects. It also underscored the necessary dos and don’ts and highlighted the strategy for preventing irregularities in the use of public funds. As many as 36 engineers from the rank of assistant engineer to superintending engineer from various divisions of the Works department across the state attended the workshop.
While more such sensitization programmes are expected to be organized in the coming days, the government has made it abundantly clear that it will not let officials facing corruption charges to go scot-free. With cases against such officers being pursued with due diligence, there is hardly any scope for the guilty escaping punishment. The government has also given compulsory retirement to several officers found guilty of corruption.
What is most important is that, unlike in the past, it is now impossible for the high and the mighty to escape the dragnet of law by using their influence. The government ensures the equality of law for everyone irrespective of their power and position. Therefore, both politicians and bureaucrats are facing action in corruption cases.
The successful war against graft has been one of the biggest achievements of Patnaik in his fifth term as the Chief Minister of Odisha. One of the most important reasons for success on this front has been Patnaik’s decision to let Pandian lead this war as the 5T secretary of the state. With all the government departments brought under the ambit of Mo Sarkar, a transformative initiative of the 5T programme, not only efficiency but even the level of transparency and accountability has increased.
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