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  POLITICS & GOVERNANCE[2001 onwards] POLITICS & GOVERNANCE[1996-2000] MOVIESMUSICSPORTSBUSINESSNATIONAL SECURITYINTERNATIONAL AFFAIRSINFOTECHSOCIETYSTYLELIVETRAVELSCIENCEELECTION'99ELECTIONS '98 | ||
'I would be a first rate Vittal than a second rate Seshan'
Uma : Do you think that corruption must be punished with
capital punishment? Raghu : Hello Mr Vittal, how come you don't require Z security? I mean all these small time criminal record holding politicians need one. Isn't there any threat 2 your life? Mr.N.VITTAL : I have Z security- zero security. Because my focus of attack is the system and not any individual. Hence I do not feel threatened nor I have received any threatening calls. Having security means losing privacy. I cherish my privacy. Maya : Mr Vittal which are the current cases you are working on? Mr.N.VITTAL : The CBI has about 1200 cases covering bureaucrats, politicians and executives. These are reviewed by me every month. I also get about 110 complaints per day and 40 cases referred by the ministries, departments, PSU's and banks. My plate is full and it is not possible to single out any individual cases. All are important. Why : Why didn't any head rolls after the Tehelka tapes? Are you guys sleeping? What happened to the Bofors criminals? Mr.N.VITTAL : So far tehelka is concerned, the process of decapitation has started. In the case of Bofors the law is taking its own course. Marx : Mr Vittal you can have a senior IDIOT who licked his bosses over the years and a young meritorious turk who can make a diff to the system. YET you think that older guy deserves precedence because of AGE? Is it you or your age talking? Mr.N.VITTAL : I would anyday vote for merit over seniority. But in a selection process if it is prescribed that seniority must also be considered then we cannot ignore the seniority totally. Confucious : I'm confused. Since when did age overrule merit in someone younger than him? You mean to say one should stop giving young a chance (who literally created the IT sector) and give older men a chance because of a natural cycle of nature? Mr.N.VITTAL : In anys selection process merit must be the prime consideration but if seniority is also prescribed as condition then they have to look into merit plus seniority while making a final selection. rangan v : t is found that the percentage of corrupt officers in higher cadre are very much higher than at the lower levelofficers.these higher officers always escape so punishment should be very severeas the level of cadre goes up.because the higher officers are supposed to set an example to the all lower l;evel officers. pl comment Mr.N.VITTAL : I agree that there is distinct attempt generally to protect the public servants at the higher level. In order to overcome this I have taken steps like CVC website publication of the charged officers who have been found guilty and also issued directive on 9th November 2000, that the CVO's should send advance copies of their reports to the CVC so that if the disciplinary authoritities try to protect the corrupt public servants figuring in the report, it would be immediately exposed. ranganv : I HAVE SENT PERSONALLY BY EMAIL TO VIGILANCE@HUB.NIC INCOMPLAINING ABOUTAN AGENCY ON APRIL 3RD SENT AT7 07PM.TILL TODAY I HAVE NOT GOT ANY ACKTHEN HOW DO YOU EXPECT PUBLIC TO PARTICAPATE IN YOUR PROGARMME IN CLEANING INDIAN CORRUPTION.DO YOU HAVE A SYSTEM FIRST OF ALL? Mr.N.VITTAL : We generally acknowledge the complaints which are not annoymous or sudonymous. We inquire into them through 589 CVO's and if necessary through CBI also. ranganv : it is found in depts like revenue all senior officers are left right centre misusingthe vehiclesusing contigeny staff at home dont you think this is is a drain onthe exchequer.such cases arealso to be treated as dishonesty.because lower level officers are only looking after the log books of movement of cars and allocation of contigent staff .the senior officer only writes theannual confidential report and naturally one has to oblige and thse senior officers are right royally misusing their positions. why not dispense the confidential report sothat even govt servant will be willing to come forward with corruption in the depts. pl comment Mr.N.VITTAL : I agree that misuse of government facilities is a corrupt practice but the scope of misuse can be reduced if the rules are pragmatic. As regards the suggestion about doing away with the confidential report it would amount to throwing the baby away along with the bath water. I am sure you are aware of CVC's guidelines of 18 November 98, the juniors to direct a complaint to the CVC against the corrupt pratices of the seniors. Mr.N.VITTAL : I shall be happy to take up your questions. The more ebrassing the better. arjungolmal : Mr. Vittal why is it that the Tehelka scam turned out to be a storm in tea cup??? cant u do anything about it?? Mr.N.VITTAL : I do not agree that tehelka expose was a storm in the tea cup. In fact the entire parliament session was rattled by it. The defence ministry is initiating action. The senior political leaders have resigned. The issue of corruption has become a major point in the election debates. If you still think it was storm in the tea cup, then we are talk about storms and tea cup of gargantuan diemensions. Dinesh : Mr. Vittal, why do corrupt politicians never go to jail, while the corrupt people down the line get the worst treatment. Should there not be a top-down approach? Mr.N.VITTAL : I agree that we should set examples by punishing people in the highest levels. Generally people at the highest levels have more financial resources and influence and are able to take full advantage of our loop holes in our system. We have created legal cushons of safety thanks to very high and noble principles of natural justice like presuming every person to be innocent till proved guilty. The peculiar result of this is that even those who have on television confessed to have taken money are discharged by the courts because this is not considered to be a proof for establishing the guilty in a court of law. i_am_an_ias : Do we have Corruption in CVC?? Mr.N.VITTAL : We remain alert and take prompt action if there is any complaint or suspicion in our own offices. Srivyal : why has corruption become a way of life in India despite its values, principles established by our great ancestors?? Mr.N.VITTAL : We are no longer practicing the values and the principles and traditions set up by our forefathers. Desikan : Sir, this is Desikan from Chennai. I would like to know from u how u gave a clean chit to Mr.George Fernandes when there is a comminssion of enquiry into the Tehelka tapes. Mr.N.VITTAL : I expressed my genuine perception and assessment of Shri George Fernandes in the context of his action to entrust the defence deals to the CVC. We got full cooperation from the ministry of defence therefore I said that he was sincere so far as the defence deals inquiries by the CVC is concerned. Mohan : Sir, R U another T.N.Seshan? Mr.N.VITTAL : No. I would be a first rate Vittal than a second rate Seshan. jay : mr.vittal, would u please note that evrey 2nd officer posted in bombay dock is corrupt.what r u doing about it.B.P VARMA IS NOT ALONE Mr.N.VITTAL : We take prompt action to inquire into allegations of corruption against customs officials through the vigilance mechanism department of revenue as Central Board of Excise and Customs. Mr.N.VITTAL : Thank you for asking questions. I feel sorry that we could not take up all the questions because of shortage of time.
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