Vigilance Awareness Week in Government Offices
Vigilance Awareness Week would be observed in all government organisations from 3rd November to 7th November, 2008. According to the Central Vigilance Commission, “It is the time of the year when we rededicate ourselves and renew our commitment to the cause of creating conditions to eliminate rent-seeking behaviour and to ensure that public services are rendered with utmost honesty, sincerity and efficiency.”
The Commission would like to see promotion of preventive vigilance activities with emphasis on development of a foolproof system. A system that encourages strict adherence to the principles of non-discretionary decision making on the basis of well defined rules would go a long way in obviating the need for disciplinary action well after the event is over. There cannot be a more apt description in this regard than the old adage: "Prevention is better than cure".
The role of the Secretaries to the Government of India and the CMDs of the PSUs and the Public Sector Banks, as heads of the vigilance administration, in this regard, hardly needs any emphasis. Vigilance is very much a management tool and, as such, should be used synergetically with the other tools to improve efficiency by promoting competitiveness, equity and transparency;
The fight against corruption is too serious a task to be left to the heads of vigilance in government organisations or the Commission alone. The civil society and citizens in general must play a far more effective and pro-active role in this fight. Of particular importance in this endeavour is the recourse to Public Interest Disclosure and Protection of Informers' ( PIDPI ) Resolution, 2004, under which the complainants can approach the Commission directly as 'whistleblowers'. The Commission remains committed to protecting the safety and identity of the whistleblowers and urges more such persons to come forward in order to expose corruption in public life, taking advantage of the PIDPI Resolution, 2004.