Upload videos, audios to expose corruption on CVC's 'Vig-Eye'

According to an anti-corruption watchdog official, Vig-Eye (an acronym for vigilance eye), provides a more user-friendly platform for interface between the CVC and the citizens who may have suffered at the hands of corrupt officials and who want to disclose information about such illegal activities.

"The advantage of Vig-Eye includes simplified process of filing complaints and it will provide authentic identity of the complainant. Vig-Eye would be completely digitised and it will give online access to vigilance information," Central Vigilance Commission P J Thomas said while inaugurating the web portal.

"Efforts at modernising the vigilance framework are underway which include development of new models of preventive vigilance, adoption of risk management approach and aligning the vigilance function with the corporate governance framework," he said.

The CVC said that preventive and punitive approaches to addressing corruption need to complement each other. The Commission has adopted a strategy of leveraging technology and has been persuading the government to adopt e-governance measures.

"The aim is to use technology in activities vulnerable to corruption in order to reduce human intervention," he said. Thomas said that the Commission has undertaken a campaign aimed at creating awareness about corruption and inculcating ethics on good governance. The campaign would help reduce people's tolerance for corruption.

The Commission has also recommended to the government to include ethics education in the school curriculum, Thomas said. Thomas was speaking during a seminar 'Empowering citizens to combat corruption' organised at Vigyan Bhawan here on International Anti-Corruption Day. The seminar was aimed at deliberating and recommending proactive and participative measures to combat corruption.

Introducing the Vig-Eye, Vigilance Commissioner Srikumar said that it will help build up the vision of proactive and predictive vigilance. The VC said that people can use mobile phones and web based technologies to lodge complaints or grievances using mobile phones with a software application specially designed to file complaints.

People can visit CVC's website (www.cvc.nic.in) to access or get more information on Vig-Eye. The CVC acts as an apex anti-corruption statutory body mandated to fight corruption and ensuring probity in public life.

Later, eminent personalities from different walks of life participated in panel discussions on three themes -- engagement of civil society in checking corruption, addressing corruption from the supply side and modernising the vigilance framework.

The concluding session was chaired by former Central Vigilance Commissioner Pratyush Sinha who suggested that the government create an environment conducive to the development and participation of civil society organisations engaged in the fight against corruption and ways to convince and empower the entities who act as the source of bribes.

Besides, he suggested modalities for moving over from a punitive and reactive vigilance regime towards a more proactive, preventive and predictive vigilance. During this Session, the rapporteurs -- R Balakrishnan, Chief Vigilance Officer, Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd (CPCL), Arun Singhal, CVO, Gas Authority of India Ltd(GAIL) and T Venkatesh, CVO, National Thermal Power Corporation(NTPC) made presentation on the issues to the Chair.

The Chair made deliberations on the issues and recommendations evolved from each sessions and outlined the priorities for the future action.