GUWAHATI: Vowing to continue with the ‘zero tolerance to corruption’ policy of his government, Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday said “Corruption is such an all pervading malady that cripples all spheres of the society which can’t prosper unless corruption is rooted out.”
On Completion of two years in the office, Sonowal stated relentless drive against corruption during the last two years as it had paid rich dividends in making governance transparent and efficient enabling the government to take care of even the poorest of the poor in the society.
“It has been a tough fight against corruption for the last two years, but it will have to continue as corruption is the root cause of all maladies and it have to be rooted out from the system of governance otherwise it will not be possible to serve the interest of all sections of the people in the state,” Sonowal said.
He informed that during the last two years 66 cases were registered by the State Vigilance Cell and Chief Minister’s Vigilance and anti-Corruption Cell while 74 government officials, public servants arrested in connection with these cases.
Moreover, the CID too have registered seven cases of corruption and arrested 15 government officials and public servants involved in these cases. In the infamous ‘cash-for-job’ scam related to recruitment process conducted by Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) during the previous regime, Assam Police besides the chairman and two Members of the APSC have arrested 20 Assam Civil Service officials, nine Assam Police Service officers, nine allied services officers and five other government employees of the APSC during the last two years of present regime.
The Bureau of Investigation of Economic Offences (BIEO), Assam during the last two years has registered 44 cases related to evasion of taxes/royalty in forest, excise etc., departments and arrested four government officials and 49 traders.
Sonowal claimed that it was because of corruption-free and transparent recruitment process during the present regime, 45000 deserving and meritorious aspirants had been recruited to various departments by the government so far. “Even candidates from BPL families have been recruited to government jobs which was impossible in the state till the BJP-led government came to the power,” the CM said and pointed out that drive against corruption has resulted in substantial increase in collection of revenues by government departments – for instance 41% increase in Excise, 49 % increase in Transport, 23 % increase in Forest, 15 % increase in Sales Tax/GST.
“The drive against corruption has created a business-friendly environment in the state and the state government has received investment proposals of Rs 89,000 crore so far because of single-window ease of business policy adopted by the present government,” Sonowal said.
