THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau director Loknath Behera has set the ball rolling for revamping the bureau. As a first step, he has reconstituted the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) formed by his predecessor Jacob Thomas. Behera has also decided to add some officers as ‘confidential assistants’ in the group.
The wing was set up to keep a check on corruption in government departments. Behera has already directed staff members on deputation to return to their parent departments. Sources said the move was aimed at making the Vigilance more accountable.
RAW will be trimmed and redistribution of officers will be based on the size of the group, said sources. As many as 40 officers have been asked to join their parent departments as their deputation period is nearing completion. Behera will also host a training session next week to ensure the pending cases are quickly disposed of.
Behera told Express he had not decided to disband the group formed by Thomas. Instead, he wanted to ‘redistribute’ it by adding more responsibilities.
“The responsibilities include the collection of confidential information,” he said. “Our DySPs and SPs will be accountable unlike before. Earlier, the officers from other departments used to return once the deputation period came to an end. So, we need a sustainable team to make the Vigilance more effective even though our strength is minimal.” He said his primary emphasis was to dispose of the pending cases at the earliest.
Thomas had formed a team comprising 140 officers, including those on deputation.