CVC asks banks, govt departments to send factual report on corruption complaints in one month

"While forwarding the factual report, the CVOs should also give their recommendations/views in clear terms," it said in the order issued to all CVOs of central government departments, public sector banks, insurance companies and central public sector undertakings, among others.

The CVC has modified its earlier directive issued in August 2020 and said that "the commission has decided to forward complaints to the CVOs concerned for obtaining factual reports, if necessary".

In its 2020 order, the probity watchdog had asked the CVOs to furnish investigation reports on corruption complaints within three months from the date of receipt of references from the CVC.

In terms of the powers under Section 8(1)(d) of the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003, the commission seeks reports from CVOs of departments/organisations on complaints received by it, it had said.

The CVOs were then asked to personally review all such complaints pending for investigation in the organisations in the first week of every month and take necessary steps towards expediting/finalisation of reports and their processing.

As many as 231 complaints sent to the CVOs by the Commission were pending for inquiry and report as on December 31, 2021, according to CVC's annual report for 2021. Of these, 61 were pending for inquiry and reports for more than three years.