Former Prime Minister of India - Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee's inaugural speech at the Conference of CBI and State Anti Corruption Bureaux

~We have gathered here for an important conference and I am very pleased to be with you this morning to inaugurate it.

I join all of you in congratulating the winners of the President’s Police Medals.

As far as I can gather, this conference has evoked a lot of public interest. Firstly because anything associated with the CBI arouses interest. Besides, this conference also provides a forum to the State anti-corruption agencies for sharing their experiences.

The focus on it is also enhanced by the fact that a conference that ought to take place every two years, is taking place after six years.

So, obviously, you have a packed agenda. But I need hardly remind you that people’s interest in the conference comes with people’s heightened expectation from the conference. At the end of your deliberations, they would like – and I would like – your assembly to come up with concrete proposals and initiatives towards a more effective fight against the menace of corruption.

The CBI Director, in his opening remarks, has done well to recall what I said on corruption in my Independence Day speech this year. Let me briefly elaborate on why I affirmed our Government’s commitment to combat corruption.

Today, India is on the threshold of a historic transformation. Both the people and the Government have a shared ambition to make India a Developed Nation in the shortest possible time, a future in which all our citizens can live better lives.

For this, we need to speed up our socio-economic development. We need to ensure that the enormous budgetary allocations and non-budgetary spending on various programmes and schemes, at the Centre and in States, are well spent for public good – and not siphoned off to fatten private pockets.

Such corrupt practices are the chief reason why our developmental efforts have not yielded desired results.

But they pose another danger.

Such private expropriation of public resources is also a moral hazard to society. For no society can remain healthy if the good of the collective is undermined by the greed of a few.

Apart from being a foe of development and of public morality, corruption also endangers good governance.

For its prevalence, if not effectively combated, weakens the people’s faith in the system.

And no system can deliver optimally if it lacks people’s optimal support and participation.

I would like to quote here from a consultation paper on ~Probity in Governance~, which was prepared by the Commission for the Review of the Working of the Constitution.

~Corruption has flourished because one does not see adequately successful examples of effectively prosecuted cases of corruption. Cases, poorly founded upon; their half-hearted and incomplete investigation; and a tardy and delayed trial confluence a morally ill-deserved but legally inevitable acquittal. The acceptance of corruption as an inexorable reality has led to silent reconciliation and resignation to such wrongs.~

Which is why, I have said that we shall not tolerate corruption, howsoever highly placed the offender may be.

The Government shall not bring any kind of pressure in the working of the CBI or any other Constitutional agency.

This is not an assurance. It is a fact. It is our track record.

Our Government has given the greatest autonomy to investigating agencies, including the CBI.

I would like the State Governments also to give similar autonomy to their anti-corruption agencies.

However, you will readily agree that, with autonomy comes greater responsibility and higher accountability. This leaves no scope for passing the buck or for putting the blame on others.

Hence, my personal philosophy is simple: Let each institution in our democracy do the work that the law earmarks as its domain --

in proper coordination with other institutions;

with no interference or pressure from outside;

with requisite autonomy;

but with full responsibility.

Friends,

I compliment the CBI for its good work and for its continuous efforts to improve its track record.

The strength of any institution lies in the trust and credibility it enjoys in the eyes of the people. By this yardstick, the CBI has much to be proud about. For whenever there is any case of wrongdoing, we hear a demand from the public as well as the political establishment for referring the case to the CBI.

I would like all the officers of the CBI to work with redoubled dedication and determination to further strengthen the people’s trust in their agency.

I would also like the State anti-corruption agencies and vigilance officers in all public undertakings to aspire to earn the same kind of reputation.

It is especially necessary for State-level agencies to improve their performance, because they deal with cases of corruption that directly affect the common man. Precisely for this reason, their success or failure can influence the people’s attitude towards the system as a whole.

In short, what we need is a system that can catch the big fish as well as the small fish.

I am, of course, conscious of the fact that it will not be possible for you to uncover every irregularity. But you can certainly create, based on a high rate of conviction, a deterrent impression that irregularities will indeed be uncovered – that no fish, big or small, can escape your net.

It should be your common aim to ensure that, it is not the criminal but the crime-busting system that will always have the upper hand.

What we need is a system-wide enhancement of credibility.

This will come with a system-wide augmentation of efficiency and effectiveness.

For this to happen, the system needs to address five important imperatives.

First, there has to be far better co-ordination, cooperation and timely exchange of information among various anti-corruption agencies in the country than is the case today. This is especially needed in crimes that have inter-State and international linkages. CBI, being the premier agency of the Central Government for investigating anti-corruption cases, is ideally suited to lead this effort.

I am told that some progress has been made in this regard. This needs to be broadened.

Second, anti-corruption agencies, especially the CBI, should continuously hone their skills to catch criminals who indulge in large-scale economic offences. After liberalization of our economy, there has been a spurt in financial frauds, bank and stock market scams, money laundering and cyber crimes, running into hundreds and thousands of crores of rupees. Some of these channels are also used to finance anti-national and terrorist organizations.

I applaud the greater thrust that the CBI Director has lately given to training all his officers, from top to bottom, for more effective investigation of these crimes. This process of training and continuous learning should become an integral part of the culture of all the anti-corruption agencies.

Third, I realize that some fresh legislative and administrative initiatives are needed to curb the growth of economic offences. I would like your conference to make concrete suggestions in this regard. As you are aware, the draft Money Laundering Bill is already under consideration in Parliament.

Fourth, the test of systemic effectiveness lies in quick disposal of investigation. It is not a healthy situation when cases under investigation drag on for years together. I am happy to note that the CBI has made some significant strides in disposal of old cases, and has issued a directive to complete all investigations within one year. State agencies should emulate this example.

The test of systemic effectiveness also lies in a good record of convictions. Although the CBI’s conviction rate is 70 %, the people are deeply dismayed – and so I am – that the rate of conviction in non-CBI cases does not go beyond 5-6%. I would like all of you to do honest introspection on why this is so.

No doubt, shoddy investigation, leading to acquittal, is a part of the answer. However, a major part of the blame lies with our criminal justice system. Its long delays and arcane procedures inspire little confidence either among the people or even among investigating agencies. This calls for serious soul-searching and urgent self-corrective action by the judiciary.

Lastly, you must deal with wrongdoing within anti-corruption agencies promptly, sternly and demonstrably. Adherence of our motto of ~Zero-Tolerance of Corruption~ must be most visible in your own organizations.

In conclusion, if I were to graphically sum up our strategy to combat corruption, I would say that corruption is the area bounded by three sides of a triangle.

One side is the Opportunities for corruption; these have to be reduced by appropriate policy reforms, laws, and their proper enforcement. The second side of the Triangle of Corruption is the Freedom from Risks; this has to be diminished by improved functioning of the police, investigating agencies, and the judiciary. The third side is the Social Acceptance of corruption; this has to be decreased through citizens’ own action.

When all three sides shorten, the area of corruption will automatically shrink.

With these words, I inaugurate your conference and wish it all success.

Thank you~.