'E-procurement, e-payment must to fight corruption'

[ganpat1956]

Hyderabad, July 07: Central Vigilance Commissioner,. Pratyush Sinha on Saturday said that the introduction of technology in the forms of e-procurement and e-payment in all government organizations and PSUs (Public Sector Undertakings) becomes extremely critical and essential to combat corruption in public procurement.

At present, both, the Government organizations and PSUs make an annual procurement of over Rs. One lakh crores, he noted.

Addressing a gathering at the 4th anniversary celebrations of the Vigilance study circle, Mr. Sinha noted that the Right to Information Act and its extensive use by the citizens were helping to fight against corruption. The RTI Act in tandem with the extensive use of information technology should lead to significant fall in corruption and should be widely encouraged for application in various government departments and PSUs. Technology could be of immense help in tackling the problems of pilferage and loss in transportation of goods and in the aviation sector, he added.

The Commissioner further said that the introduction of technology should not be at the cost of proper training, orientation and commitment of the vigilance personnel. The conventional methods of vigilance would still be valid and any effective anti-corruption body must be based on an optimal mix of technology and trained manpower. An institution like the Vigilance study circle could play an important role in propagating the elements of good governance, in highlighting the wrong-doings and in suggesting ways and means to fighting individual and institutional corruption, he observed.

Siasat