Dr Jitendra addresses G-20 International meet, reiterates India’s resolve against corruption

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh addressing the G-20 International Ministerial meet of Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG), on Thursday.
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh addressing the G-20 International Ministerial meet of Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG), on Thursday.

Excelsior Correspondent

NEW DELHI, Oct 22 : Addressing the G-20 International Ministerial meet of Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG), Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today reiterated India’s resolve against corruption and said that India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to the policy of zero tolerance against corruption and unaccounted money. In pursuance of this, he said, a range of initiatives have been taken by the Modi government over the last six years.
Dr Jitendra Singh referred to India’s Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, which the Modi government had amended after thirty years in 2018 to introduce a number of new provisions including criminalizing the act of giving bribe in addition to taking bribe and at the same time, putting in place an effective deterrence for such actions by individuals as well as corporate entities.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, the present Act brought on the directions of Prime Minister Modi aims at checking corruption in big places and striking hard against corporate bribery. It seeks to establish a vicarious liability so that the actual bribe giver is also exposed, he said.
The commitment of the present government, said Dr Jitendra Singh, is to bring in more transparency, more citizen – centricity and more accountability in governance and is indicated by its decisive initiatives to operationalize the institution of the Lokpal in the country.
Reminding the G-20 Meet delegates that the world is presently combating serious emerging challenge of Fugitive Economic Offenders who flee across national jurisdictions. He said, India’s Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 empowers authorities for non-conviction based attachments and confiscation of proceeds of crime and properties as well as assets of a Fugitive Economic Offender.
We are also seized of the issue of the accused taking shelter in the foreign country and concealing the proceeds of crime, said Dr Jitendra Singh and conveyed India’s appreciation that the
G-20 Anti-Corruption Working Group, together with the help of international organizations, is taking this fight ahead in the right direction.
Dr Jitendra Singh congratulated the Presidency South Arabia for organizing the G-20 Ministerial Mee on its 10th Anniversary year despite the constraints of COVID pandemic and wished that the world will come together for a steadfast and a strong movement to combat the menace of corruption.