New Delhi: Delhi Aam Aadmi Party MLA Atishi after taking charge of the vigilance department, wrote a letter to the Chief Secretary regarding incidents of bribery in SDM offices, directing him to file a complete report within one month.
“Government officials are demanding bribes from people to issue regular certificates in SDM offices. Vigilance Minister Atishi instructed the Chief Secretary to send a team of officers to the SDM office,” sources in the AAP said.
Atishi also instructed the Chief Secretary to personally visit at least 5 SDM offices and investigate the matter.
“I have received multiple complaints during my public hearing that some government officers in SDM offices are asking people for bribes in lieu of facilitating their requests and applications regarding various certificates being issued by Revenue Department. This is extremely shocking, since SDM offices are one of the nodal points through which the government is providing services to the citizens.
“People come to SDM offices for very basic and necessary documents like Income Certificate, Caste Certificate etc. Therefore, it is extremely shocking that the SDM offices providing such essential certificates and services, often to disadvantaged citizens, have become sites for corruption and any unscrupulous transaction in these offices will affect the most disadvantaged and marginalized people,” read her letter.
Atishi stated that these issues need to be investigated immediately.
She said that the Chief Secretary, who also acts as the Chief Vigilance Officer is hereby directed to set up a team of senior IAS and DANICS officers to visit all SDM offices, within the next one week, and conduct an inspection at the ground level with regard to any corrupt practices that may be going on.
“The Chief Vigilance Officer should himself visit at least five SDM Offices and conduct a general examination of the functioning of these offices for existing procedures and practices which provide a scope for corruption. This is an essential part of the preventive vigilance functions of the CVO as envisaged in the Vigilance Manual, 2021, issued by the Central Vigilance Commission: “To undertake study of existing procedures and practices prevailing in his organisation with a view to identify those procedures or practices which provide a scope for corruption and require modification,” her letter stated.
She said that the Chief Vigilance Officer shall present a detailed report on the irregularities observed in the SDM offices where delays and corrupt practices occur, and suggestions on how these can be curbed and how to modify the procedures which provide any scope for corruption. The CVO shall present the report to the undersigned within one week.
–IANS