There is a steady decline in the number of complaints against senior government officers which are being referred to the CBI or Vigilance Officers for inquiry since 2014, the data presented in Lok Sabha shows.
In response to a written reply to a question, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh gave the figures of complaints received against officers above Joint Secretary level and action taken thereon by the Central Vigilance Commission during the last three years.
The data shows that in the year 2014, 64,410 complaints were received against officers of the level of Joint Secretary of which 1,214 (about 1.88 per cent) were sent to the CBI or the Central Vigilance Officer for necessary action.
Subsequently in 2015, 32,149 complaints were received of which 179 (about 0.55 per cent) were referred to CBI and CVOs, and in 2016 the number of cases referred for probe further dipped to 0.16 per cent with only 86 of 51,207 complaints referred for probe and in 2017 till February only 0.001 per cent which is one in 5,850 complaints has been referred for investigation, the data from the government shows.
The complaints are sent to CVOs or the CBI by the CVC if they prima facie contain allegations of corruption, else the matter is referred to the Chief Vigilance Officers for "necessary action" wherein they take a call for future course of action.
It shows that 24,012 complaints were referred to CVOs for "necessary action" in 2014, 16,215 in the year 2015, 11,845 in 2016 and 1,842 in 2017 till February.
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