SANJEEV CHATURVEDI EXPRESSES DISAPPOINTMENT OVER
INACTION AGAINST CORRUPTION
Wednesday, 29 July 2015 - 5:14pm IST | Agency: dna webdesk
I am disappointed with the functioning of PMO as I worked with
policy of zero tolerance as espoused by the Prime Minister. I took this message
to heart and took considerable personal risks to break corruption in
AIIMS," he said.
Whistleblower bureaucrat
Sanjiv Chaturvedi, who has been selected for the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay
award, on Wednesday expressed disappoinment over alleged inaction of PM Narendra Modi and
the functioning of the PMO and said he was able to "survive" only
because of an "independent judiciary".
According
to a CNN-IBN report Chaturvedi came to know that PM Modi had spoken to
former Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan following his complaint to the PMO
but 'did nothing'. "I was following his motto 'khane nahi dunga' but when
I tried to expose corruption I was targetted. I wrote to PMO to help me but I
got to know from RTI that Modi spoke to Harsh Vardhan but did nothing,"
says the report.
"There
should be a zero tolerance against corruption not against honest officers. I am
disappointed with the functioning of PMO as I worked with policy of zero
tolerance as espoused by the Prime Minister. I took this message to heart and
took considerable personal risks to break corruption in AIIMS," he said to
PTI.
He
was reacting to his selection for the Ramon Magsaysay award. Chaturvedi and
founder of NGO Goonj Anshu Gupta are the two Indians selected for the coveted award
for this year.
Chaturvedi
said he had taken action in a number of cases of alleged corruption involving
senior officials and "powerful" people taking inspiration from the
Prime Minister's slogans like 'na khaunga, na khane dunga' (neither will I take
bribe, nor will I allow anyone to take bribe) but was
unsuccessful. Chaturvedi was removed in August last year from the post of
Chief Vigilance Commissioner at AIIMS. He had alleged that he was removed
because he had detected irregularities at the institute. Currently he is serving
as Deputy Secretary in AIIMS.
"Our
late President Abdul Kalam has been a role model for me. His positive attitude
and selfless manner in which he served the country will always inspire
me. He had said that to fight corruption, seminal role has to be played by
mother, father and teacher of the children so that right moral values could be
inculcated right from the very beginning," said Chaturvedi.