Address trust deficit b/w people, public office holders: CVC

There is trust deficit between people and those holding high public offices which needs to be changed or else there will be more street protests, Central Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar said here today.
He said accountability institutions like Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and Election Commission (EC) among others play an important role in nourishing democracy and containing corruption.
Kumar also cited Direct Benefit Transfer scheme via Aadhaar as an important example of use of technology to check graft.
"Over the years, the accountability institutions play a very important role in nourishing the democracy. The institutions like CAG, Judiciary, Election Commission and CVC over the years have occupied the public minds and space much more and are playing a much greater role.

"It is a part of the maturing of our democracy and strengthening of it," Kumar said after inaugurating Delhi NCR chapter of Vigilance Study Circle here.
But at the same time while institutions are playing a greater role, it is also a parallel development taking place and that is there is a steady decline in the esteem and respect that the holder of public office enjoys.

"There is a trust deficit with those who hold high offices of public. We have to change otherwise we will find rising anger and more and more street demonstrations. This is something that we have to contain," he said.

Accountability institutions like CAG and CVC play an important role in containing corruption in the administration, a press release issued today by the Ministry of Personnel quoted him as saying.
Kumar said the impression that noting was being done to check corruption has now changed.
"It is interesting to know, when we look at all churning that is going on, at some point the impression was that nothing is being done which has now changed, he said.
"When I joined the service it was almost impossible to think that a Cabinet Minister would go behind bar. A Secretary to Government of India will be behind bars or even the people in public sector or private sector, the law would catch them.

"To all of them, one message that is conveyed which is due to the combined efforts of all of you, civil society, that nobody can say he is above the arms of the law.
He said whether it is a minister, secretary or a chief executive all of them know if they are involved in a corrupt practice there is chance that they are getting caught. "This is something which we are proud of," the CVC said.