Naidu says corruption eats into heart of democracy, calls for zero tolerance towards it

PTI, Dec 5, 2021, 4:11 PM IST

Noting that corruption eats into the heart of democracy, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday called for zero tolerance towards it.

He stressed the need for stringent and timely action under the Prevention of Corruption Act against erring civil servants and public representatives.

Naidu also pushed for fast-tracking disposal of cases related to corruption involving public servants.

At the same time, the vice president cautioned, officials taking bona fide actions should not be discouraged or harassed. ”While corrupt civil servants must be strictly dealt with, we must not dissuade officials from taking bold decisions in the larger public interest,” he said, according to an official statement from the Vice President Secretariat.

Naidu made these remarks at the release of a book by former cabinet secretary and former Jharkhand governor Prabhat Kumar here.

The vice president felt that there was also a need to celebrate the achievements of honest civil servants and recognise their contributions. This, he suggested, will not only be an incentive for younger officials to push for excellence, but such publicity will also encourage the replication of innovative efforts by others.

He called for a moral resurgence of civil services in the country to improve the delivery of services to the common man and to ensure the fruits of development reach the people.

In this regard, he urged zero tolerance towards corruption and ensuring total transparency and accountability at all levels of governance. Noting that corruption eats into the heart of the democracy, he stressed the need for stringent and timely action under the Prevention of Corruption Act against erring civil servants and public representatives. according to the statement.

Recalling his experience of working with enterprising civil servants, Naidu noted that many young officers have been bringing innovation into their work, in programmes such as ‘Swachh Bharat’.

Enumerating the qualities of an ethical and public-spirited civil servant, the vice president said an ideal officer should ensure zero pendency of issues under his purview, must display the highest qualities of probity and integrity in office, be proactive in taking the measures of the government to the people, and above all be sympathetic to the cause of marginalised sections.