This year the officials from the State Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) will not be alone in organising the Vigilance Awareness Week. Thanks to the efforts of the Public Concern for Governance Trust, the ACB has managed to rope in the radio channel Red FM for its awareness campaign in a bid to reach a wider audience.The Vigilance Awareness Week started on Monday and will continue till November 7.  The first day of the week saw government offices observe an oath taking ceremony. The officials solemnly vowed ‘not to bow to corruption of any kind and fight it in every way possible without any bias or favour.’

Sanjay Parande, additional deputy commissioner of police, ACB said, “While lectures and banners are effective, the audio-visual media has a wider reach. Last year we made a silent film on the topic which was widely appreciated. This time unfortunately the week will be observed at a time when the schools and colleges are still in vacation. But that’s when we decided to rope in a radio station as its reach would be immense owing to its popularity.” Parande added, “While the tenure of the week remained restricted to a few days, our aim is that its impact continues for a long time.

Our awareness campaigns have always stressed on the agenda that the people should be aware of their rights against corruption and that they should be aware of our existence.”

While Parande argued that there was no specific study on the trend of corruption cases, he stressed that awareness levels have considerably increased. “Statistics may reveal that most of the cases being investigated by us are against the police or the BMC officials but that does not necessarily mean corruption is high in these sectors. It indicates a probability that cases go unreported in other sectors.”

Mumbai-specific statistics from the ACB reveal that it registered 47 cases from Mumbai, till October this year and arrested over 60 persons in connection with the cases. 17 police personnel and 23 BMC personnel have been booked in these cases. Last year’s figures show that the ACB registered 72 cases till October 2007 and 80 till the end of the year, with 121 persons having been arrested. Cases against 47 police personnel and 33 BMC personnel were registered last year.

Statistics for the whole of Maharashtra reveal that the ACB has arrested 304 persons after laying 231 traps between January and August this year. Of the accused, 73 are from the revenue department, 72 are police personnel while 23 are from the Municipal Corporations.

URL: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/radio-channel-acb-come-together-to-observe-vigilance-awareness-week/381658/