Haryana: State Vigilance Bureau wants staff strength doubled to check graft

Geetanjali Gayatri

Chandigarh, May 1

To strengthen its presence and deal with the increased workload, the State Vigilance Bureau (SVB) has moved a restructuring plan, recommending that its staff strength be more than doubled and a DSP be posted to head its district units.

Plan sent to government

We want the Bureau reorganised on the basis of the workload to discharge our duties efficiently and expeditiously. One meeting has already been held and a revised proposal based on the discussions has been sent to the government. Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor, DG, SVB

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The proposal comes after the Haryana Government gave in-principle approval to the SVB expansion in keeping with its drive of “zero tolerance to corruption”.

According to the proposal sent to the Chief Secretary, Sanjeev Kaushal, the SVB has recommended that the sanctioned staff strength be increased from 533 to 1,300. This includes techical staff and ministerial staff as also Class IV employees.

Presently, the SVB has seven range offices, including two police stations at Ambala, Faridabad, Gurugram, Hisar, Karnal, Panchkula and Rohtak, to cover all 22 districts.

The sanctioned strength of 359 is distributed amongst the district units falling within the range.

However, the SVB has now proposed that each range be headed by a Superintendent of Police (SP), while the Nuh model with a sanctioned strength of 28 be followed for the district units. It is proposed that this district unit be headed by a DSP for “better coordination with senior district officers” and also because constitutional courts, while handing over matters to the SVB for investigation, stipulate that it shall not be done by any officer below the rank of the DSP.

Sources maintain that the SVB, on an average, registers 120 inquiries, 30 criminal cases, 50 trap cases and generates 90 source reports in a year.

“We want the Bureau reorganised on the basis of the workload to discharge our duties efficiently and expeditiously. One meeting has already been held and a revised proposal based on the discussions has been sent to the government,” said DG, SVB, Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor.

While the proposed restructuring has been formulated to improve the SVB’s functioning, there would be no major impact on the state exchequer since the staff at the SVB is mostly on deputation from other departments except 27 officials.

The proposal mentions that though the financial implication is to the tune of Rs 38 crore, additional budgetary allocation will be needed for the payment of the salaries. However, there will be corresponding reduction in expenditure from the parent department from where the manpower is drawn.