116 'corrupt' arrested in Uttarakhand since 2022, 20 of them gazetted officers: Vigilance dept

Dehradun, Sep 9 (PTI) Taking strict action against corruption, Uttarakhand's Vigilance Department has sent 116 employees, including 20 gazetted officers, behind bars over the last three-and-a-half years.

From the year 2022 to the present, 79 traps were laid to catch the accused in bribery cases in the state, in which 92 officers and employees were arrested and sent to jail. Of these, 13 were gazetted officers, director of the state Vigilance Department V Murugesan said at a press conference here on Tuesday.

During the same period, 24 people including seven gazetted officers, were arrested under charges of irregularities and corruption, he said.

Murugesan informed that during this period, by pleading strongly in the court, the accused were punished in 28 out of 37 cases decided so far, with the percentage of conviction being 71 per cent.

He informed that trap-related complaints were received in about two dozen departments, out of which the maximum complaints were from the Revenue Department, where 32 personnel were arrested.

During this period, the maximum trap operations in Garhwal division were conducted in Haridwar (21) and Dehradun (10) districts, and in Kumaon division. The maximum trap operations were conducted in Udham Singh Nagar (22) and Nainital (11) districts.

He informed that a revolving fund has been set up in the Vigilance Department to refund the trap money of the complainants and Rs 2,35,500 has been refunded to 13 complainants till now.

He informed that in 29 cases of the Vigilance Department's permission at present for prosecution approval, filing of case and open investigation is to be obtained, which are pending at the government level.

Under Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami's policy of zero-tolerance to corruption, a toll-free number 1064 was started for complaints against corruption in April 2022. The campaign has further accelerated over the years and so far 9,424 complaints have been received on it, out of which 1,421 complaints are from the vigilance angle.

He informed that out of these complaints, trap action has been taken in 62 and investigation action in others.

Murugesan said that toll-free number 1064 has also been publicised in remote and rural areas of the state, as a result of which trap action has been taken against corrupt officers and employees on the complaint of the public in border districts of Pithoragarh, Chamoli and Bageshwar. PTI COR ALM ALM KSS KSS