The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has done away with the mandatory no-objection certificate (NOC) that Punjab Police personnel had to procure from it before applying for or renewing a passport and before every foreign trip.
The VB's chief director, director general of police (DGP) Suresh Arora, said the relaxation given to the 72,000-strong police department was in accordance with the instructions issued by the union ministry of external affairs (MEA).
According to the MEA, instead of procuring an NOC from the VB to declare that they were not involved in any corruption case, police personnel would just have to produce an identity certificate (IC), which would thus exempt them from police verification.
Though the instructions of the MEA were issued way back in October 2009, the Punjab VB had not been following these.
"Our aim is to make it simpler for the police force in the state. There may not be even 1,000 personnel against whom cases of corruption have been registered; then why should the rest of the force suffer?" said Arora.
PORTAL AND PHONES
The VB has also decided to have its own website to create awareness among the people about providing quick information of corruption in public offices. Dedicated toll-free telephone numbers to encourage people to uncover graft would also be functional soon.
PORTAL AND PHONES
The VB has also decided to have its own website to create awareness among the people about providing quick information of corruption in public offices. Dedicated toll-free telephone numbers to encourage people to uncover graft would also be functional soon.
Arora has also directed all district vigilance chiefs to have their telephone numbers displayed at all police stations and other government offices.