Chandigarh, March 5
The Punjab vigilance commission may become the first casualty of the change in government in Punjab.
The SAD-BJP alliance was seriously considering to scrap the Punjab vigilance commission which was set up late last year.
The 12th Punjab Vidhan Sabha at its last sitting in September last year had passed the Punjab state vigilance commission Bill, assent to which was subsequently given by Governor General S.F. Rodrigues (retired).
When the Bill was passed, the SAD and the BJP legislators were not in the House as the entire opposition had been suspended at its previous sitting.
As a sequel to the Punjab State Vigilance commission Act, the previous Congress government had appointed Justice Amar Dutt as its chairman. Two other members of the commission, one from the Indian administrative service (IAS) and the second from the Indian police service (IPS), were still to be appointed before the state went in for the Assembly elections.
The decision to set up the commission by the previous Congress government was based on a recommendation of the Governor-in-council meeting held on June 6, 1991. The council had recommended that the department of vigilance should examine the possibility of establishment of an independent vigilance commission on the lines of the central vigilance commission.
The argument given in the SAD-BJP circles is that the existing system of cases of corruption being investigated by the state vigilance bureau under the direct administrative control of the chief secretary was adequate for the job.
Those supporting the scrapping of the commission argued that there was no need to bear an additional recurring expenditure of Rs 1.30 crore annually as the vigilance bureau could be strengthened to handle all cases of the Prevention of Corruption Act by the public servants. They also held that the creation of an extra authority was not required. The state also had the Lok Pal to look into complaints of corruption against politicians.
Sources pointed out that an ordinance may be issued to scrap the commission before it was endorsed and ratified by the state Assembly at one of its subsequent sessions.
