From sweepers to managers, CVC seeks nod to punish 96 bank

From sweepers to senior managers, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has sought permission to prosecute 96 employees working with various public sector banks found allegedly involved in corruption.
Of these, 85 employees, including six sweepers, are working with Indian Overseas Bank (IOB).
Out of the total 42 cases awaiting sanction for prosecution, 15 involve public sector banks. The CVC has sought permission to prosecute 96 bank employees in these cases, as per Commission's monthly report for March.
Among banks, seven cases are of IOB, two are of Bank of India and one each of Oriental Bank of Commerce, Corporation Bank, State Bank of Patiala, Exim Bank, United Bank of India and Bank of Baroda, it said.

Those found involved in alleged corruption are at the level of Chief Manager, General Manager, Assistant general Manager, Special Assistant, Clerk and 11 Messengers, the CVC said.
Sanction is awaited from these banks for more than four months. As per norms, the matter of granting sanction for prosecution has to be decided within four months.

Not only banks but other government departments are also delaying permission to punish the corrupt officials, sources said.
As many as six cases involving at least eight government officers, most of them belonging to the elite Indian Administrative Service (IAS), are pending with Department of Personnel and Training, which acts as the nodal authority on anti-corruption measures.

Besides these, four cases involve officials of the Railway Ministry, three of Defence Ministry, two each of Health and Steel Ministry, and one each of Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) and Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), among others.
The officers at the level of Deputy Commissioners, Senior Intelligence Officers and Appraisers are involved in these cases, the CVC said.
The Commission is also awaiting sanction to prosecute officials working with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) Ltd, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), Commerce Ministry, South Delhi Municipal Corporation, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Ministry of Rural Development and Home Ministry.

Some of them are Senior Managers and Sales Managers of IOC, Assistant Loco Pilot (Railways), Subedar Major (Defence), and former Vice Chancellor and Professors (HRD Ministry).
Citing a Supreme Court order, the CVC has already told all government departments that "time limit of three months for grant of sanction for prosecution must be strictly adhered to. However, additional time of one month may be allowed where consultation is required with the Attorney General or any other law officer".