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New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National Conference on Vigilance and Anti Corruption on the theme सतर्क भारत, समृद्ध भारत (Vigilant India, Prosperous India) on October 27, 2020, through video conferencing. The event was organised by the Central Bureau of Investigation focusing on Vigilance issues aimed at raising awareness and reaffirming India’s commitment to promotion of integrity and probity in public life through citizen participation.
Addressing the Conference, PM Modi said Sardar Patel is the architect of United India as well the country’s administrative systems. As the first home minister of the country, he made efforts to build such a system which is meant for the common man of the country and where the policies are based on integrity. Modi lamented that the following decades witnessed a different situation which lead to scams worth thousands of crores of rupees, establishment of shell companies, tax harassment and tax evasion,
The PM said in 2014, when the country decided to make a major change and to move in a new direction, there was a big challenge in changing this environment. He said the constitution of the committee against black money was in limbo despite the Supreme Court’s directions. The committee was formed immediately after formation of this Government.
Modi stressed the necessity for the administrative systems to be transparent, responsible, accountable, and answerable to the public. He added that the biggest enemy against this is any form of corruption. And therefore, he said, tackling corruption is not just the responsibility of any single agency or institution but that it is a collective responsibility. He said corruption cannot be dealt with a stand-alone approach, according to a PIB release.
He said be it corruption, economic offences, drug networks, money laundering, terrorism, terror funding, it has been seen quite often that they are all linked and hence there is a need for systematic checks, effective audits, and capacity building and training with a holistic approach to fight corruption.
He wished the conference to emerge as an effective platform to suggest new ways to make सतर्क भारत, समृद्ध भारत (Vigilant India, Prosperous India). The Prime Minister said that for decades, the poor did not get their entitlements but now owing to the DBT, the poor are directly receiving their benefits. He said owing to DBT alone more than Rs 1.7 lakh crore are being saved from getting into wrong hands.
He stressed that there should be neither any strong interference from the government nor an absence of Govt. Modi said that over the last few years more than 1,500 laws have been abolished and many rules simplified. He said that many applications for pension, scholarship, passport, startup, etc. have been made online to reduce the hassle to the common people.
He said earlier there was a nefarious industry to lobby for transfer and postings. The Government has abolished the interview for the post of Group B & C. He said the formation of the Bank Board Bureau has ensured the transparency in appointments to senior positions in banks.
He mentioned generational corruption as a major challenge that has been gradually growing in the past decades and has taken a formidable form in the country. He explained generational corruption as the corruption transferred from one generation to another. He said when a generation of corrupt people does not get the right punishment, then the second generation commits corruption with more vigour. Modi said, due to this, it became part of political tradition in many states. He said this corruption and dynasty of corruption from generation to generation makes the country hollow.