New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) Senior Congress leader and chairman of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has written to the chief vigilance commissioner (CVC) for probing charges of alleged corruption in the office of the Controller General of Patents Designs and Trademarks (CGPDTM).
In a letter to CVC Praveen Kumar Shrivastava, Chowdhury alleged that “large scale and blatant acts of corruption” have come to light in the office of the CGPDTM and a thorough probe must be ordered.
He also sent an unsigned letter to the CVC making similar allegations of corruption and demanded that a proper investigation must be ordered.
Chowdhury alleged that the acts of corruption, which are said to be going on blatantly and by throwing all rules and norms to the wind in CGPDTM, start from and stretch to granting intellectual property cases to “compromised officials” for monetary gains.
The cases have been granted by overlooking the IT-based auto allotment process of IP cases and mass transfer of officials followed by reversion to original place of posting for monetary considerations, he said.
Besides, he alleged “misutilisation and misappropriation” of government funds in violation of statutorily laid down rules and norms, for which an audit by the comptroller general of accounts has been recommended.
He also alleged arbitrary engagement of contractual manpower through Quality Council of India (QCI) and arbitrary manner of processing applications which has had a disruptive effect on the eco-system of granting intellectual property rights.
“Particulars of very large scale and blatantly corrupt practices being followed in the Indian Patents Office (CGPDTM) under the existing dispensation, as detailed by the complainant, and as highlighted in brief in this letter, may, perhaps be the tip of the ice-berg. Unearthing and putting an end to these forms of corruption is a must for the country’s reputation, which is known for its strict and stringent patent Laws,” the Congress leader said.
He said considering the sheer vastness of the violation of all norms and rules and the magnitude of corrupt practices highlighted by the complainant in the letter, a thorough probe on each aspect of the corrupt practices highlighted, need to be carried out immediately according to the suggestions made, the guilty brought to book and the functioning of CGPDTM put in order so as to be in consonance with the statutory provisions.
“The complainant has not signed the letter, which may be for obvious reasons. Nevertheless, the issues raised being of the nature of ‘Whistle blowing’, immediate action to probe these becomes a necessity,” Chowdhury said in his letter to CVC. PTI SKC SKC KSS KSS
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