Bihar government on Tuesday announced the creation of a special fund to award informers and whistleblowers for giving tip-offs about legislators and state officials possessing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.
The fund would remain at the disposal of the state vigilance department, deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said and added the reward amount would vary from Rs 11,000 to Rs 50,000 depending on the nature of case. However, it would be paid only if the information leads to filing of chargesheet by the vigilance bureau.
A separate fund has been created for tip-offs on defalcation of public money by officials and contractors. Though the amount is same – anything between Rs 11,000 and Rs 50,000, depending on the magnitude of the loot, the informer may turn richer by up to Rs 5 lakh if the accusation leads to saving of huge funds.
The state has also decided to give “consolation incentive” to vigilance officials who investigate such cases to their logical conclusion. “The government would bear the cost of return journey of non-government witnesses when they travel to appear in courts in connection with such cases and pay them an additional allowance of Rs 200 per day,” Modi said.
The state government has so far instituted 87 disproportionate assets cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act. In five such cases, the vigilance court has ordered confiscation of the assets. Against this order, three accused – IAS official S S Verma, transport official Kapil Muni Rai and assistant treasury officer Girish Kumar, all suspended – went in appeal to the Patna high court.
Verma’s petition has since been dismissed by the high court. The Patna district magistrate has now issued a notice to Verma, asking him to voluntarily hand over his property failing which the administration would seize it.
“To combat corruption, one vigilance officer has been appointed in every government department,” Modi said.