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Indian vigilance commission starts probe into defence deal

ISLAMABAD: Indian Vigilance Commission has asked officers and staff of Defence Department to communicate to it any information or complaints which help in its probe about any wrongdoings in important defence deals.

A statement issued by the commission said, it will probe into all important defence deals hammered out after 1985-86 to detect involvement of any middleman in these deals, BBC Radio reported.

Then the government in 1985-86 has banned the role of commission agents in defence deals.

According to the statement, in this connection the allegations levelled during debate in the Parliament are also being probed.

Defence Ministry has recently asked the commission to investigate into the complaints made during Parliament debate.

The commission said, it would endeavour to finalise its report as early as possible.

Vigilance Commission is also probing irregularities in purchase of spares for Navy during past ten years besides looking into the expensive deals of SU-30, MIG-29 and Mirage-2000 planes.

The commission is an autonomous body and its jurisdiction is to trace corrupt officials of government departments. This commission is answerable to Parliament alone.

Chief Vigilant Commissioner N. Vittal these days has been running a massive campaign against corrupt senior officials.

A few days ago, he released names of over a 100 top government officials, against who corruption charges were proved to be correct and about whom the commission has demanded of government to award them appropriate punishments.

The commissioner is facing resistance and opposition from various vested interests. APP