Lok Sabha Question No. 1938 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-03
Subject: Complaints against Corruption
Ministry: PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
Asked by: Sunil Kumar Singh, Sudhakar Tukaram Shrangre

## MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL & TRAINING)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1938

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.07.2019)

## COMPLAINTS AGAINST CORRUPTION

## †1938. SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH: SHRI SUDHAKAR TUKARAM SHRANGARE:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is receiving corruption related complaints;
- (b) if so, the department-wise and post-wise details of complaints received and action taken on them during the last five years;
- (c) whether  any  effort  is  being  made  by  the  Government  for  making  the  process  of registering corruption related complaints easier and to create awareness in this regard;
- (d) if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether any efforts have been made by the Government to reduce corruption; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

(a)  &  (b):    Yes,  Sir.  The  department-wise  /  post-wise  data  of  corruption-related  complaints received  is  not  maintained  centrally.    However,  as  per  information  provided  by  the  Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the details of number of  complaints  received  and  action  taken  on  them  during  the  last  five  years      are  given  in Annexure-I and Annexure-II respectively.

(c) & (d):   Recognizing the importance of complaints, as they constitute an important source of information  leading  to  the  exposure  of  misconduct  and  malpractices,  various  platforms  have been developed for registration of complaints, including the corruption related complaints.  Such complaints can be filed, in written form, by post or online through the dedicated portals for this purpose.

In  order  to  make  the  process  of  registration  of  complaints  easier,  this  Ministry  has developed a Centralized Public Grievance Redress And Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) i.e., pgportal.gov.in. for registration of all types of grievances including those relating to corruption. Further,  the  CVC  has  a  dedicated  portal  on  its  website,  i.e.,  portal.cvc.gov.in  and  a  toll  free telephone number 1800110180 for registration of complaints.

(e)  &  (f):    The  Central  Government  is  committed  to  its  policy  of  'Zero  Tolerance  Against Corruption' and has taken several measures to combat corruption.

The steps taken by the Central Government to combat corruption, inter alia, include:

- I. Systemic improvements and reforms to provide transparent citizen-friendly services and reduce corruption. These, inter alia,  include:
- a) Disbursement of welfare benefits directly to the citizens under various schemes of the  Government  in  a  transparent  manner  through  the  Direct  Benefit  Transfer initiative.
- b) Implementation of E-tendering in public procurements.
- c) Introduction of e-Governance and simplification of procedure and systems.
- d) Introduction  of  Government  procurement  through  the  Government  e-Marketplace (GeM).
- II. Discontinuation of interviews in recruitment of Group 'B' (Non-Gazetted) and Group 'C' posts in Government of India.
- III. Invocation  of  FR-56(j)  and  AIS(DCRB)  Rules,  1958  for  prematurely  retiring  officials whose performance has been reviewed and found unsatisfactory.
- IV. The  All  India  Services  (Disciplinary  and  Appeal)  Rules  and  Central  Civil  Services (Classification,  Control  and  Appeal)  Rules  have  been  amended  to  provide  for  strict timelines in the procedure related to disciplinary proceedings.
- V. The  Prevention  of  Corruption  Act,  1988  has  been  amended  on  26.07.2018  to  bring  a paradigm shift in tackling corruption in as much as clearly criminalizing the act of giving bribe, checking big ticket corruption by creating a vicarious liability in respect of senior management of commercial organizations where the act of giving of bribe is with their consent or connivance.
- VI. Issue of instructions by the CVC asking the organizations to adopt Integrity Pact in major procurement activities and to ensure effective and expeditious investigation wherever any irregularity/misconduct is noticed.
- VII. The institution of Lokpal has been operationalised by appointment of a Chairperson and eight  Members,  including  four  judicial  Members.  Lokpal  is  statutorily  mandated  to directly receive and independently process complaints as regards alleged offences against public servants under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

In  addition,  the  CVC,  as  an  apex  integrity  institution,  has  adopted  a  multi-pronged strategy  and  approach  to  combat  corruption,  which  encompasses  punitive,  preventive  and participative vigilance.

*****

## Annexure-I

The  details  of  number  of  complaints  received  and  disposed  during  the  last  five  years  by  the Central Vigilance Commission:

| Complaints Received and Action taken                                                 |   2014 |   2015 |   2016 |   2017 |   2018 |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| Number of complaints brought forward from previous year                              |   2048 |   2311 |   1360 |   2443 |   3666 |
| Number of complaints received during the year                                        |  62362 |  29838 |  49847 |  23609 |  29979 |
| Total number of complaints                                                           |  64410 |  32149 |  51207 |  26052 |  33645 |
| Total number of complaints disposed, of which                                        |  62099 |  30789 |  48764 |  22386 |  30575 |
| (a) Anonymous/Pseudonymous (Filed)                                                   |    758 |   1745 |    540 |   2391 |   2922 |
| (b) Vague/Unverifiable (Filed)                                                       |  36115 |  12650 |  36293 |   4947 |   9831 |
| (c) Officials not under CVC jurisdiction/grievances (Forwarded for necessary action) |  24012 |  16215 |  11845 |  14845 |  17575 |
| (d) Sent for inquiry/investigation to CVO/CBI                                        |   1214 |    179 |     86 |    203 |    247 |
| Number of complaints carried forward to next year                                    |   2311 |   1360 |   2443 |   3666 |   3070 |

The details of number of complaints received and disposed under Public Interest Disclosure and Protection of Informers' (PIDPI) Resolution during the last five years by the Commission:

| Complaints Received and action taken                                                    |   2014 |   2015 |   2016 |   2017 |   2018 |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| Number of complaints brought forward from previous year                                 |     38 |     39 |     32 |     37 |     27 |
| Number of complaints received during the year                                           |    954 |    656 |    821 |    744 |    695 |
| Total number of complaints                                                              |    992 |    695 |    853 |    781 |    722 |
| Total number of complaints disposed, of which                                           |    953 |    663 |    816 |    754 |    693 |
| (a) No. of complaints filed                                                             |     27 |    116 |    367 |    265 |    275 |
| (b) Non-vigilance (Forwarded for necessary action to concerned Department/organization) |    799 |    467 |    358 |    401 |    332 |
| (c) Taken up for inquiry/investigation by CVO/CBI                                       |    127 |     80 |     91 |     88 |     86 |
| Number of complaints carried forward to next year                                       |     39 |     32 |     37 |     27 |     29 |

## Annexure II

## The details of number of  Complaints relating to Corruption Registered in Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) during the last 5 years

| Year   | Total No. of Complaints registered during the year   | Out of Col.2 No. of complaints disposed of   | Out of Col.3 no. of complaints disposed of as   | Out of Col.3 no. of complaints disposed of as   | Out of Col.3 no. of complaints disposed of as   | Out of Col.3 no. of complaints disposed of as   | Out of Col.2 No. of complaints pending   |
|--------|------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| Year   | Total No. of Complaints registered during the year   | Out of Col.2 No. of complaints disposed of   | RC                                              | PE                                              | RDA/such action                                 | Closed / Otherwise disposed of                  |                                          |
| 1      | 2                                                    | 3                                            | 4                                               | 5                                               | 6                                               | 7                                               | 8                                        |
| 2014   | 547                                                  | 544                                          | 219                                             | 28                                              | 46                                              | 251                                             | 3                                        |
| 2015   | 489                                                  | 488                                          | 213                                             | 15                                              | 31                                              | 229                                             | 1                                        |
| 2016   | 417                                                  | 404                                          | 193                                             | 16                                              | 32                                              | 163                                             | 13                                       |
| 2017   | 388                                                  | 353                                          | 155                                             | 27                                              | 27                                              | 144                                             | 35                                       |
| 2018   | 316                                                  | 250                                          | 133                                             | 13                                              | 18                                              | 86                                              | 66                                       |