Team Herald
PORVORIM: Total of 46 cases have been filed before the Vigilance department against the government officials in last 12 years; however, only one case has been charge sheeted and one got conviction, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar told the State Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.
Tabling the Question, Independent MLA Naresh Sawal demanded that hands of those government officials, caught red handed accepting bribe, should be cut.
Of the total 46 cases, 39 cases have been registered under the BJP led government while only seven cases were filed between 2005 and 2012. Total five cases were filed in 2012; nine cases in 2013, 16 cases in 2014 and nine in 2015.
“Before BJP could took over in 2012, the vigilance department was completely defunct. Since its inception in 2005, only seven cases were registered till March 2012 and are under investigation,” Parsekar told the House adding that one Prashant Mandrekar, former Ponda Mamlatdar has been convicted for two years imprisonment.
However, of the total 39 cases registered under the BJP government, one case involving Mandrem Talathi Vithal Sawant has been charge sheeted on August 1. Sawant was booked for amassing huge assets to the extent of Rs 32,14,735.00 in June 2012 .
“I don’t understand. When a person is caught red handed accepting bribe, how can a case be kept under investigation? The police have all evidence of him or her accepting the bribe. They should be punished stringently. Cut their hands,” Sawal said.
The MLA claimed that the government had assured zero tolerance to corruption but has failed to curb the increasing corruption at the government offices. He even informed the House that the Vigilance department is now given adequate manpower and sufficient power to deal with the cases.
“Vigilance department is left as paper tiger,” he commented.
Responding to the same, the Chief Minister said that in a democracy, even if a person is known as an established criminal or a cheat, it has to be proven so. “You cannot take action otherwise,” he said, warning that those using the department for filing bogus complaints for personal gains would face the action in future.
The 39 cases involve names of police personnel, including DySP Shamba Sawant, PSI Sushant Gawas and PSI Sunil Gudlar.
