Vigilance means keeping a watchful eye on the activities of the personnel and taking prompt action to promote transparency, fair practices and ensure integrity in the functioning of public authorities and official transactions. Vigilance and good governance are interrelated and both require a fair legal framework which is enforced impartially. It also means we have an independent judiciary and impartial anti corruption authorities and police force. Access to Information should be freely available and that is the essence of good governance.

Santhanam Committee in 1962 had identified four major causes of corruption: (i) Administrative delays (ii) Government taking upon themselves more than what they can manage by way of regulatory functions (iii) Scope for personal discretion in the exercise of powers vested in different categories of government servants; and (iv) Cumbersome procedures of dealing with various matters which are of importance to citizens in their day to day affairs.

Every corrupt officer needs two elements to indulge in corruption. One is opportunity, another, assurance of safety. We have three types of vigilance:

Preventive Vigilance

Participative Vigilance

Punitive Vigilance

Preventive vigilance seeks to prevent acts of corruption by reducing the incentive and opportunities for private gain by using corrupt means. Punitive Vigilance is based on action against an individual by Anti Corruption Agencies. From last over a decade a new kind of vigilance has emerged which means Participative vigilance , wherein Govt and civil society actors , activists , whistleblowers and transparency activists sit together and brainstorm on controlling corruption.

Interactive session with Chief Secretary

During the recent Vigilance Awareness........

© Greater Kashmir