CVC in 2014: Eye on multi-crore scams, anti-graft measures

New Delhi: Timely supervision on multi-crore scams being probed by the CBI and a slew of measures to check corruption in government departments kept the Central Vigilance Commission, working without its regular chief, in news this year.

Acting tough on graft complaints, the CVC referred various cases of corruption to the CBI for detailed probe and sought strict vigilance mechanism for country's regulators including Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Forward Markets Commission (FMC) and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Former Central Industrial Security Force chief Rajiv, who is currently acting as interim head of the CVC, was appointed as Vigilance Commissioner in the Commission in February.

There is a Central Vigilance Commissioner, assisted by two Vigilance Commissioners in the CVC. However, the post of chief and one of the Commissioners is lying vacant for about three months now.

The CVC, which exercises superintendence over CBI to oversee probe in corruption cases, investigated Commonwealth Games (CWG) related irregularities, monitored probe in multi-crore coal blocks and 2G spectrum allocation scams.

The Commission opposed closure of several Preliminary Enquiries registered by CBI in the multi-crore coal blocks allocation and submitted its findings to the Supreme Court. The apex court had on March 28 asked CVC to peruse the coal blocks allocation cases in which there was a difference of opinion within CBI on their closure.

The probity watchdog also issued guidelines to all government departments to ensure transparency and fair play while inviting bid documents or floating tenders for all procurement and contractual works.

It directed officials dealing with disciplinary and corruption cases involving their subordinates to issue "self-contained" orders against corrupt or undisciplined government employees with "due application of mind".