Reaping the Benefits of ‘Mo Sarkar’: Vigilance Director Jethwa on Rise in Vigilance Cases

Cuttack: The Odisha Vigilance Department has registered 31 cases this year alone under the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act 2018. In these cases, as many as 23 government servants have been arrested including Class 1 officers of the State Government. The activeness of the Odisha Vigilance Department can be directly attributed to the outcome of the Mo Sarkar initiative of the Odisha Government.

Speaking to media persons, Director Vigilance Y K Jethwa said, “A considerable amount of Vigilance work is based on feedback. Primarily we are tapping two types of feedback. One is pre bribery feedback and the other is post bribery or post corruption feedback. Pre-bribery feedback is helping us in laying traps and nabbing those who are demanding and accepting bribe amounts, while the transaction is taking place, or in intercepting them while travelling with bribe amounts. For this, we are relying on whistleblowers, aggrieved persons and our sources in various departments, institutions and offices across Odisha”.

Explaining the successes achieved by the Department and the strategies, Jethwa said “The other feedback is post bribery feedback. This feedback is helping us in targeting the disproportionate assets generated through bribery and corruption. For this, we have been increasingly tapping the massive data generated by the ‘MO Sarkar’ system that is collecting random feedback on bribery, harassment etc. from community members who visit Government offices for various services. This data is helping us in identifying the Hotspots of Corruption, in terms of individuals and institutions, and enabling more focused targeting.”

In the coming days, we are committed to intensify our actions further, equipped with the Mo Sarkar Feedback and utilising data mining tools over the Mo Sarkar data, and taking advantage of digital data and footprints generated in financial transactions and activities of individuals.

The anti-corruption wing earlier today arrested Trinath Mishra, Additional SP, after unearthing disproportionate assets worth more than Rs 11 crore, which is 500 percent more than his own sources of income.

During the raids, the vigilance department also seized a BMW X7 car worth more than Rs one crore, Hyundai Creta car (worth Rs 17 lakh), Maruti Baleno, Chevrolet Trailblazer LTZ car and GTR 250 Hyosung bike worth Rs 5.3 lakh, Triumph Rocket 3 2020 worth Rs 20 lakh and Royal Enfield Classic 500 ABS costing Rs 1.75 lakh from the possession of the Additional Superintendent of Police.

In another development, in one the biggest seizures made in recent times, the Odisha Vigilance Department sleuths today seized Rs 1.12 crore from the residence of Dr Sukant Jena, gynecologist, posted at the Community Health Center in Puri district’s Charichhak. Earlier today Jena was caught red handed by the Vigilance officials while accepting Rs 8,000 bribe to conduct cesarean operation.