LUCKNOW: On the occasion of golden jubilee celebrations of the Vigilance Establishment of the UP Police, senior IPS officers advocated the state government give more freedom to vigilance department to punish the corrupt. Most of the speakers including director general of police A L Bannerji who also holds additional charge of director Vigilance spoke about fighting against corruption. Principal secretary Home Rakesh Bahadur was special guest of the function organised at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan.

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav could not turn up and was represented at the function by Health minister Mohammad Azam Khan, who said there would be no compromise on fight against corruption and his government has given permission to the CBI to punish 72 officials facing charges in NRHM and other cases. Write-ups by senior officers in a magazine published to mark the occasion drew attention of participants as the articles pleaded strongly for actual freedom to officers to investigate corruption cases and punish the powerful. "At the state level, anti- corruption mechanism needs to be more effective.

Vigilance establishment, the anti-corruption organisation and crime branch of the CID need to be more effective instruments against corruption. State governments must cleanse the Augean stables of corruption, or else the electorate would not spare them," warns the article penned by former DGP of UP, Assam and DG BSP, Prakash Singh who is fighting in the court for the police reforms. Mahesh Chand Diwedi another retired DGP questioned lack of freedom in functioning as it was mandatory to seek permission from government at every level to start inquiry.

Most of the officers agreed that dozens of cases of corruption were pending in government. Earlier, a new logo of the Vigilance was unveiled..



Stay updated with all the Lucknow Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.