Goa govt to maintain database of tainted officials

Panaji, Apr 9: In a bid to weed out corruption, Goa Government will now maintain a list of tainted officials and keep them away from sensitive departments if they fail to improve their conduct over a period of time.

State Vigilance Department has issued a circular to all the Heads of Departments (HoDs) to prepare a list of the officers having "doubtful integrity" and the ones who might have been involved in corrupt practices. Similar lists naming points or places of corruption, unscrupulous contractors, supplies or firms and that of unscrupulous contact persons (who might facilitate corruption), will also be maintained. Superintendent of Police (Anti-Corruption) Bosco George said that there was a lot of information available with various departments of the government which can be used to provide "clean and efficient" administration.

The vigilance department will conduct annual review and name of the officer can be dropped from the list, if he is found to have improved his conduct over a period of time. "It's an entire exercise to give corruption-free governance," George said, adding that those officers whose names figure in the list will be kept away from sensitive departments. Vigilance department has told all the HoDs that the list will be confidential and they will be responsible for its safe custody and it is their duty to ensure that the contents of the list are not leaked.

A senior officer said that the circular in this regard was earlier issued during 2005 when Manohar Parrikar was chief minister before he was dislodged in a political coup. The circular remained buried in the files during the successive Congress-led governments. After coming to power on March 9, Parrikar asked the vigilance department to reissue the notification in order to keep a tab on the "moles" in government departments and also in the state-run corporations or public sector undertakings.

PTI