The ‘CARE’ (Caring of Applicant & Responding Effectively) programme of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is already bearing fruit, with the agency reporting an uptick in convictions since it was launched in January.
Envisioned as a means of backstopping whistleblowers, CARE sees ACB officials visit complainants in person, to ensure that they are not being harassed for filing a corruption complaint. As a result, ACB officials say, the conviction rate in corruption cases has touched 46% in the first quarter of the calendar year.
“For instance, a Morbi Sessions court convicted the accused in three separate ACB cases on the same day. They were sentenced to jail and fined. In addition, cases pending before the high court are also being monitored by the Core Committee constituted under the chairmanship of the Additional Director,” an ACB official explained.
“So far, we have contacted more than 900 complainants under the CARE programme. This has also helped raise complainants’ trust in the bureau, so more people are feeling empowered to reach out to combat corruption,” the official said, adding that the CARE programme stores information digitally, making it easily accessible for quick and efficient use.
In addition to CARE, the bureau also uses the advice of legal, forensic, technical, revenue and financial experts to conduct thorough investigations into alleged cases of bribery and disproportionate assets and to collect evidence.
The CARE programme is among the latest moves in the ACB’s continuous awareness campaign to involve the public in the fight against bribery and corruption in Gujarat’s government offices. The bureau has issued a toll-free number (1064) and a WhatsApp number (90999 11055), where the public can reach out if faced with a corrupt official.