PMO graft cell zooms in on Manohar Joshi

PMO graft cell zooms in on Manohar Joshi
Neerja Chowdhury

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 17: The Prime Minister's Office is looking into corruption charges against Union Minister and Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi; BSP leader Mayawati with whom the BJP has opened its channels of communication; former Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal and some members of his family and ousted UP leader Kalyan Singh who is now on the warpath against the Prime Minister.

The Anti-Corruption cell in the PMO -- initiated by former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral -- is still alive and kicking. The Vajpayee Government has received over 5,000 complaints of corruption against politicians and bureaucrats but it's ``seriously'' pursuing only around 40 of them.

``We are interested in big fish and systemic changes,'' said a senior official associated with the enquiries. The PMO is learnt to be looking into a case of a land scam against Manohar Joshi, former chief minister of Maharashtra who is currently holding the portfolio of Heavy Industries. Joshi denied any knowledge of a probe being under way.``I have no idea about it,'' he said.

As it is, the Shiv Sena leader has been cut up with Arun Jaitley being asked to take charge of Disinvestment last week. For, this leaves him with very little work. Murasoli Maran looks after Industry and FIPB, Vasundhara Raje Scindia takes care of small-scale industries, and now Jaitley will be presiding over the disinvestment process. Joshi dismissed this stoically: ``I will do whatever little work is given me.''

When complaints come to the PMO, particularly against politicians and senior bureaucrats, it first makes discreet enquiries through the intelligence agencies on whether there is any substance in the charges being made. There is no direct interrogation of the person named. The Vigilance Department comes into play later.

Though basically the PMO acts as a post office, it also nudges the relevant ministries from time to time. The complaint is sent to the Minister concerned if it's against an official in his department. The cell is being overseen by JointSecretary in the PMO Ashok Saikia.

The PMO has been concerned about the tardy progress made in these cases by the states. If an allegation is made against a state politician, the CBI or the IB cannot move against him unless there is a go-ahead from the state government.

Often Chief Ministers use the complaint politically and do not give the Centre the green signal to proceed further.

There was apparently a complaint against Orissa Congress leader Basant Biswal involving the Orissa Seed Procurement department. The PMO sent it to then state Chief Minister Giridhan Gamang who sat on it and dealt with the matter at his end in his own way. That was the end of the case.

The maximum number of complaints are related to the departments of Customs, Railways, Industry and the banking sector, say sources. The PMO gets involved only in cases that involve director-level staff.

Not long ago, raids took place in the homes of Customs officers and it is said that they were based on information gleaned by the PMOafter enquiring into the complaints it received.