UP state services officers to take pledge against corruption

Lucknow, Nov 19 (UNI) Provincial Civil Services officers in Uttar Pradesh will take a pledge against corruption.

UP Adhikari Mahaparishad, an umbrella organisation of 37 unions representing PCS and allied state services said the decision to take the pledge was taken after incidents of officials being pressurised to indulge in corruption by contractors, bureaucrats and politicians became difficult to handle.

''While some officers indulge in corrupt practices for money, the others are forced into it by influential people...this has to stop now,'' Baba Hardev Singh of the Mahaparishad said here.

He claimed that the officers from various districts would first take out a march on November 22 and take an oath against corruption in front of Patel Pratima here.

He claimed that the parishad has also formed an 'anti-corruption cell' to investigate miscounducts by its members. ''If they are found guilty, we would remove them from the Parishad and ask the state government to take appropriate action against them,'' he claimed.

He, however, admitted that the 11-month-old cell has so far not received any complaints from eithter the public or fellow officials. ''We had not been able to publicise about the cell properly,'' he maintained.

He said the anti-corruption drive would not end after the pledge itself. ''We would continue with the awareness drive.'' UNI NAB SHB DB1854