Prioritising forensic experts recruitment to address sophisticated nature of corruption:Lokpal chief

New Delhi, Jan 16 (PTI) Anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal is prioritising recruitment of experts in forensic accounting and cyber investigations to address increasingly sophisticated nature of corruption, its chairperson Justice A M Khanwilkar said on Thursday.

Addressing the first Lokpal Day event here, he said that efforts are being made to integrate state-of-the-art information technology to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of processes at the ombudsman.

"The challenges before the Lokpal are ever revolving because the model of corruption is evolving. The nexus between politicians, bureaucrats and business interests has only grown stronger. That warrants continued vigilance and timely and effective follow up cleansing mechanism. Despite its limited resources the Lokpal is working diligently since its inception to fulfill the mandate and its mission," Khanwilkar said.

Towards this end, multi pronged strategies to strengthen the functioning of the Lokpal have been adopted, he said.

"We are prioritising the recruitment of personnel and specialised expertise, including in forensic accounting and cyber investigations to address the increasingly sophisticated nature of corruption," the Lokpal chief said.

During the event attended by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice Sanjiv Khanna among others, anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare, Attorney General of India R Venkatramani and former Supreme Court judge Justice N Santosh Hegde were felicitated for their role in strengthening the country's fight against corruption.

Padma Bhushan awardee Hazare, who had started a hunger strike in August 2011 to press the then government to enact the anti-corruption law Lokpal, had joined the event virtually from his village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district.

In his address, Khanwilkar also said that the process for registering complaints with the Lokpal is being simplified and made more transparent.

"Secondly, efforts are being made to integrate state-of-the-art information technology and systems to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of processes. We are also open to exploring the feasibility of artificial intelligence applications.

"These tools will facilitate more efficient data management and analysis, expediting our enquiries into allegations of misconduct and enhancing our capacity to respond to emerging challenges," Khanwilkar said at the event held at Zorawar Auditorium, Manekshaw Centre here.

He said that the Lokpal is also propagating increased collaboration with the anti corruption bureaus that is Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), Chief Vigilance Officers (CVOs), other enforcement agencies and the judiciary for creating a cohesive and united front in the fight against corruption.

"We believe that together we can create a powerful and potent force to expose the entrenched network of corruption," Khanwilkar said.

He said the anti-graft ombudsman is also working on strengthening the public awareness campaign nation-wide to motivate the public to play an active role in promoting transparency, accountability and inform them about their rights and mechanisms for reporting corruption in public offices on a real time basis.

"We believe that a society aware of its rights and enjoys ease of access to the institutions meant to protect them is one step closer to creating an environment that will no longer tolerate corruption," Khanwilkar said. PTI AKV AS AS