New Delhi: Stating that the nature of corruption has become more “complex”, PK Mishra, principal secretary to the Prime Minister, Friday said that there is a need for “innovative anti-corruption solutions”
“Corruption is as old as administration. After liberalisation in India, the nature of corruption has become more complex. With technological development, there are areas where corruption is difficult to trace, particularly in areas like cryptocurrency. There is a need for innovative anti-corruption solutions,” he said.
Mishra, a 1972 batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, who has been serving in the PMO since 2014, was delivering the keynote address at the International Anti-Corruption Day event, organised by the CBI on ‘Anti-Corruption efforts – A sine qua non for Development and Security’.
He was appointed as the principal secretary to the PM in 2019. He also served as the principal secretary to Modi from 2001 to 2004, when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
Mishra said that Corruption encourages “dysfunctionality in government and perpetrates economic inefficiency, it can be a serious threat to national security”.
He added that tackling the crime of corruption is the “right and responsibility of everyone.”
He further said that the impact of corruption is especially heavy on common citizens and even higher on poorer and vulnerable persons in the community.
“Corruption, whether small or big, takes away the rights of someone or the other,” he said.
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Real-time sharing between law enforcement agencies
Calling for real-time information sharing between law enforcement agencies, he said that India was ready to play an active role towards “fighting various types of crimes with cross border linkages including financial crimes.”
He said that India was ready to cooperate with other countries and agencies.
Referring to the theme of International Anti-Corruption Day — uniting the world against corruption — Mishra said that this reflects the “universal nature of corruption” and “the need for all countries to move together in fighting it”.
‘Zero tolerance against corruption’
Referring to when the Modi government came to power in the Centre in 2014, Mishra said that the country has since decided to make a major change and move in a “new direction”. The government expeditiously put in place significant legal provisions to support the policy of “zero tolerance against corruption”.
He mentioned the government-formed SIT (Special Investigation Team) on black money and the enactment of the comprehensive and stringent Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015 as significant steps.
“There’s also a Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016, which empowers the authorities to attach and confiscate benami properties,” he said.
“Law enforcement agencies such as the CBI have done a great deal to reduce corruption,” he added.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)
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