Friday, December 14, 2012

Whistle Blowers Killed: Govt explains why it does not know the exact number

THE government says it has no record on how many whistle blowers were killed so far, and who they are. The reason? According to a resolution adopted by department of personnel and training (DoPT) on April 21, 2004, the identity of whistle blowers is…
confidential. “Therefore, data relating to whistle blowers killed is not maintained centrally,” said V Narayanasamy, minister of state in the ministry of personnel, public grievances and pension and MoS in the PMO in a written reply to a question by Ambeth Rajan in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
The Whistle Blowers Protection Bill, 2011 which was passed by Lok Sabha and is now pending in Rajya Sabha, however provides adequate safeguards against victimization of the person making disclosure on any allegation of corruption or willful misuse of power or willful misuse of discretion against any public servant. If the competent authority is of the opinion that either the complainant or public servant or the witnesses, etc. need protection, the competent authority shall issue “appropriate directions to the concerned Government authorities (including police) which shall take necessary steps, through its agencies, to protect such complainant or public servant or persons concerned”, the minister added in his reply.
Meanwhile, the government has made it clear that there is no proposal with the government to give constitutional status to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CVC is a statutory body and it derives its powers from the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003, and the CBI derives its power from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, minister Narayanasamy informed it in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

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