503 public servants convicted in five years

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar, Oct 27: A total of 503 public servants have been convicted by the Vigilance Courts in Odisha during the past five years, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said here on Monday.Addressing a meeting organized to mark the celebration of Vigilance Week, Patnaik said that 137 public servants have been dismissed from service in the past five years on grounds of corruption, which is a major step towards cleansing public life.“The continued emphasis on effective prosecution in Courts has started yielding rich dividends, and I am happy to learn that conviction percentage in Vigilance cases has reached a record 46 per cent this year,” Patnaik observed.The investigators and prosecutors of the Vigilance Department deserve praise and they should carry forward such good work with a missionary zeal, he added.Stating that corruption in high places affects badly the moral of subordinate public servants and has larger impact in the society, Patnaik said that the State Government is always laying much emphasis on maintenance of the highest standard of integrity and probity amongst senior public servants, including those holding high political offices.“Accordingly, we have created special dispensation for quick disposal of corruption cases against the persons holding high political and public office.Odisha is the first state in the country to enact the Special Courts Act towards achieving this goal.”Under the aegis of this Act, two Special Courts have been established at Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.So far, 176 cases of corruption have been transferred to these Special Courts for expeditious trial and 20 accused persons holding high public offices have been convicted, Patnaik said.Among others who attended the meeting are Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Patsani, Chief Secretary Gokul Chandra Pati, and Director Vigilance K.B.Singh.Patnaik also distributed prizes to successful students who participated in the drawing and debate competitions.