New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee will on Tuesday inaugurate the two-day golden jubilee celebrations of country`s anti-corruption watchdog Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). The function will be presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Seminars on a number of themes including `Combating Corruption, Role of Accountability Institutions, Investigating Agencies, Civil Society and Media` will be organised to mark the function.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Law Minister Kapil Sibal, CBI Director Ranjit Sinha, CBDT chairperson Sudha Sharma, former CVC Pratyush Sinha, former CAG Vinod Rai and former Vigilance Commissioner R Sri Kumar will be speaking in different plenary sessions to discuss anti-corruption measures. A commemorative stamp will also be released on the occasion. Chief Justice of India Justice P Sathasivam will preside over the valedictory function on Wednesday.
"Corruption has assumed centrestage in public discourse in recent times. From being a concern only at the ethical level for individuals and institutions, it has become a social and political concern that is getting articulated in social and political terms," an official release today said.
"In view of the change in the dynamics of the public discourse, there is a need to reassess the issues and concerns that animate the narrative of discourse. There is a growing demand for good governance and corruption free society from the people of India," it said.
CVC, the apex anti-corruption institution of the country, was set up on February 11, 1964.
"Unfortunately, CVC does not command adequate resources compared with the number of complaints it receives. The office of CVC is a very small set up with a sanctioned staff strength of just around 300. Whereas, the Commission is tasked to check corruption in more than 1,500 central government departments and ministries," a senior ministry official said seeking more manpower from the government.