CHENNAI : Baffled over rampant corruption in the day-to-day affairs of the civic body, the Madras High Court directed the Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation to pack off all corrupt officials in the Vigilance Cell and replace them with honest persons after consulting Director General of Police (DGP). Justice S M Subramaniam gave the directive on Thursday while disposing of a writ petition from H Lakshmi, who prayed for a directive to the zone-VIII executive engineer to remove a generator placed in front of her house.
After going through the report filed by the Commissioner, the judge said he wanted to place on record, with pain, the real situation prevailing in the civic body. The Act, rules and regulations were not meant to remain just on paper. They were to be implemented by superior executives to achieve 100 per cent results. If large-scale graft was allowed to go unchecked, what would be the methodology to curb violation of rules and regulations by builders and contractors, he asked.
The judge told the Commissioner to remove corrupt officials from the Corporation Vigilance Cell and consult with DGP, who should depute enough new police officials with proven integrity and honesty to man the cell so it could function more effectively and meaningfully.
The judge said he was of the strong opinion that none of the plan approvals were followed or implemented by Corporation officials. The civic body had miserably failed. When the building construction commenced pursuant to the approval of the plan, either the local police or the politicians or Corporation officials visited the site and witnessed construction activities almost daily. In spite of the inspections conducted frequently by junior engineers, assistant engineers, executive engineers and also zonal officers, builders constructed huge unauthorised buildings in large numbers. He said violations had unguidedly multiplied and were witnessed by the competent authorities of the corporation.
"This court is surprised as to how such activities are not taken up to the knowledge of the Commissioner and the government by the competent authorities. When every official of Chennai Corporation as well as the government are aware of such happenings in Chennai City, why no stern action is taken against all the persons involved in them", the judge asked.
The judge also said he could not come to the conclusion that the Commissioner was ignorant of all such illegalities and irregularities. He could not consciously be held as an innocent person. "Why is the Commissioner inactive in respect of such illegalities and irregularities. Is the Commissioner not independent in his actions? Is the Commissioner handcuffed by some other higher officials? Is the Commissioner inefficient in controlling and minimising such illegalities and corrupt activities in the Corporation? All these questions are to be answered by the Commissioner, the judge said.
The judge ordered the setting up of vigilance booths in the front office of all Corporation offices/buildings and installation of CCTV cameras, within four weeks, to enable the common man to provide information and lodge complaints in respect of illegalities, irregularities and corrupt activities. These should be under direct supervision of Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation, the judge said.
The judge also directed that all Corporation employees should furnish the particulars and details of their property, both movable and immovable, standing in their name and in the names of their family members, including their dependants, within three months. The details should be cross-checked with the particulars given at the time of joining the Corporation's service. Discrepancies, if any, should be probed by the “vigilance cell” manned by a new set of honest officers and appropriate action should be taken by the higher ups both under penal laws and under discipline and appeal rules, the judge said.
The Commissioner was also told to form special vigilance teams to conduct surprise checks and inquiries into all ongoing building projects. Violation of rules and unauthorised constructions had to be immediately dealt with in accordance with law. In the event of any such large-scale violation and unauthorised construction being identified, appropriate disciplinary action should be initiated against the junior, assistant and executive engineers and zonal officers concerned, the judge stated. No leniency could be shown. The exercise was to be done within three months, the judge said.