The Committee on Prevention of Corruption, appointed by the government to recommend on measures for prevention of corruption and whistle blower protection in the State, has recommended a code of conduct for the Ministers.
In its report to the government, the four-member committee chaired by former Chief Secretary M. Mohan Kumar, said that a group of ministers, assisted by serving and retiring civil servants, could draw up the code. A mechanism may be devised to investigate and report on allegations of breach of provisions of the code.
The committee suggested that the government should formulate a whistle blower policy and give it wide publicity. Identify of whistle blowers should be protected and there should be system for rewarding them.
The government should enact a public procurement law along the lines of the government of India’s draft Public Procurement Bill. “The government may expand the coverage of its e-procurement portal to include all departments.”
The committee proposed that only serious cases of corruption should be referred to the Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau. “Institutional arrangements may be made to eliminate delays in vigilance cases at all stages” The government may also consider legislation to prohibit capitation fee, it recommended.
