By Sharat Pradhan, IANS,
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati will soon launch an anti-corruption drive against “top corrupt” officials across the state in a move to burnish her image as a tough and no-nonsense leader, say sources close to her.
On Saturday evening, a vigilance raid was conducted against a senior official of the rank of joint trade tax commissioner in Ghaziabad. The move is expected to be carried out against other senior bureaucrats reported to be living beyond their means.
This follows a review held by Mayawati last month of the state’s different investigation agencies during which she told the top brass of these organisations to pull up their socks and reactivate their machinery to become meaningful and effective once again.
The state’s vigilance department, alleged to have become a dumping ground for “unwanted” officers, has been put under the charge of a highly reputed police official – Additional Director General Atul (he goes by only one name). Atul, who was appointed a week ago, has been allowed to handpick his team of subordinates.
The vigilance department is in the process of preparing a list of the “top corrupt” officials in different government organisations and departments, the source said.
“The chief minister is set to bring about qualitative improvement in the state’s governance, which was suffering largely on account of corrupt officials in the hierarchy,” the source said, adding, “More raids will follow in due course.”
The Mayawati government’s decision to spend a whopping Rs 2,600 crore public money for constructing memorials of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder Kanshi Ram and other Dalit leaders in Lucknow city has come in for criticism from all quarters. The case will come up for scrutiny before a special bench of the apex court Monday.
The BSP boss is understood to have directed her key functionaries to zero in on all officials who have held long stints in “lucrative organizations”.
The vigilance department has also been asked to expedite all pending inquiries, while punitive action was being ordered in cases where reports have been submitted to the government.
“We would be able to easily identify those whose assets were well beyond their legitimate sources of income. Once that is done, a systematic crackdown will follow,” the source said.
Action is being contemplated largely at the higher levels to send the message loud and clear “the chief minister means business”.