Anti corruption cell to be set up at Chief Minister's secretariat
Source: IT News / DIPR

Imphal, March 24 2017: The State Cabinet chaired by the Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren today decided to set up a special cell at Chief Minister's Secretariat to receive information on corrupt elements in public service, for ensuring transparency and accountability in governance.

It was a landmark decision aimed at transparency and accountability in all spheres of administration and for ensuring corruption free governance.

In order to help the Government to ensure transparency and accountability, a dedicated mobile number 9402150000 was earmarked to receive public grievance or information related to any incident of corruption.

The general public shall be encouraged to capture the video/audio of any incident of corruption in public service and send the same through Whatsapp on the above notified number.

The State Government will take prompt action in all such cases.

Identity of the person giving information shall be protected.

Simultaneously, general public shall refrain from forwarding frivolous complaints as it will invite strict action under appropriate law.

To achieve the goal of transparent and accountable governance with focus on citizen centric and effective discharge of duty by public servants, instructions have been issued to all the public servants to ensure complete transparency and accountability in all matters except in cases where there is a requirement for maintaining secrecy, to ensure that there is not even a single instance of favouritism and nepotism in the discharge of duty, and to ensure that there are no cases of acceptance or offer of bribe, in any form, by or to the officials.

The Cabinet discussed discontinuation of the stage of interview in direct recruitment for junior level posts (Grade-III & IV) in all departments under the Government of Manipur in line with the policy adopted by the Central Government.

It will help in curbing corruption, more objective selection in transparent manner and substantially easing the problems of poor people.

The Cabinet decided to discontinue the stage of interview in direct recruitment for junior level posts in all departments under Manipur Government with immediate effect and to amend the existing recruitment rules for Grade III & IV Posts accordingly.

In case of any recruitment that was not completed, the concerned department should place the matter before the Cabinet for taking an appropriate decision.

The Cabinet also discussed the finalisation of work programme and monitoring of development activities for effective and efficient utilization of fund during 2017-18 and decided the mechanism to enable all the stakeholders and the departments accountable for proper utilization of fund.

For release of funds during the year, all departments shall be asked to finalise work programme initially for the first four months well in time and move Finance Department for release of fund.

The Finance department will frame proper guidelines for release of fund in instalment basis as is done in the case of Govt.of India.

A mechanism is being worked out in consultation with IT Department to facilitate the departments to upload the required information in the website of Planning Department.

The photographs to be uploaded on the website will inter-alia show the beginning, progress and the completion of the work.

In order to implement the scheme of Housing for All under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana effectively in Manipur, the Cabinet decided to promulgate an ordinance for exemption of fee in the transfer of documents of land to women.

The cabinet also approved to assign the implementation of the said scheme in Greater Imphal area to the Department of MAHUD.

In order to streamline all the state funded schemes to the targeted beneficiaries and to ensure delivery with utmost transparency, the State Cabinet decided that all the state projects and Schemes be brought the ambit of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) with the use of public fund management system (PFMS) within a period of three months.

Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) is a major reform initiative launched by Government of India to ensure better and timely delivery of benefits from government to the public.

From the next financial year, Government of India has decided to implement DBT across all schemes throughout the country.

DBT framework being universalised as a high priority area by the Government of India and being monitored at the highest level in the Government to deliver entitlements directly to eligible individuals will cover all Centrally Sponsored Schemes where cash benefits are transferred to individual beneficiaries through Centre/State/Sub-State/Implementing Agencies/Societies or Non-Governmental Organisations and various other enablers of government schemes in the form of honorarium or incentives.

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