Dehra Dun: Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna`s move to set up separate vigilance cells has drawn the ire of opposition BJP with the party terming it an attempt to divert attention from the government`s "non-performance".
"There is no need to set up separate vigilance cells in all government departments when there is already a separate vigilance unit headed by a DG rank police official. The existing set up should be strengthened instead of creating new [vigilance] units," former chief minister BC Khanduri said.
The senior BJP leader also criticised the move of bringing changes in the Lokayukta bill and the transfer policy in the state, alleging that all these were attempts by the Congress government to cover up its "non-performance".
"We brought the Lokayukta bill to fight corruption. It was unanimously passed in the state assembly with active support of Congress. I don`t understand the logic why the bill is being delayed by the Centre," Khanduri said.
Taking on the Congress government for its alleged non-functioning, Khanduri said working of the government was badly affected by "severe infighting" within the ruling party, "with one of its MLAs claiming that the government is in ICU".
Alleging that the government was trying to overturn good works of the previous BJP government just out of sheer politics, he said the BJP had come out with a transfer policy aiming to "remove corruption" and safeguard employees` interests, but the present government was trying to change it in a way to promote graft.
Khanduri also questioned Bahuguna`s intent behind the proposed move to exclude lower judiciary from Lokayukta`s purview through an amendment.
"The CM must say that there is no corruption in lower judiciary, else, he should say that there is corruption there but he does not want to remove it," he said.
After giving assent to the bill on November one last year, former governor Margaret Alva had sent the bill to President Pratibha Patil for final approval. Since then, the bill is lying in the limbo.
PTI
