Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Mar 9: In response to a question in Lok Sabha today, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh informed that, in the current year of 2016, in just one month, that is from 1st to 31st January, as many as 71 Government officers were convicted by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under “Prevention of Corruption Act”. In the earlier year of 2015, 878 Government officials were convicted for similar reasons, he said.
At the same time, Dr Jitendra Singh stated that there have also been instances of acquittal of the officers against whom charges could not be established. In the year 2016 during the first month, 25 officials have been acquitted while in 2015, in the whole of the year, 210 officials got acquitted, he added.
Reiterating that the present Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, does not, in any way, interfere in the investigation of cases carried out by the CBI, Dr Jitendra Singh said, ever since the present Government took over, it has ensured absolute independence in the functioning of CBI. Dispelling the opinion in certain quarters that Central Government influences the CBI about the cases under its investigation, he said, even if this was true during the erstwhile UPA regime, it is no longer true in the present regime. If ever the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) conducts a meeting related to CBI, it is only meant for logistic purposes or to facilitate the budget and other functional aspects of the CBI.
Referring to high pendency of cases under CBI, he said, there were earlier only 46 special courts handling the CBI cases but the present Government, in line with the recommendation of the Chief Justice of India, has sanctioned 92 additional special courts, of which 87 have already become functional. Apart from creation of such courts, appointment of Special Public Prosecutors and filling up of the vacancies of Prosecutors to expedite the disposal of cases is among some of the other actions being taken by the Government.
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