Chandigarh, September 25
Decks have been cleared for the appointment of Justice Amar Dutt as Punjab’s Chief Vigilance Commissioner.

Besides the state vigilance chief, the commission will have two vigilance commissioners from the central civil services. A formal announcement constituting the commission is likely to be made in the next few days.

A selection committee headed by the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, with Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kewal Krishan and Chief Secretary KR Lakhanpal have reportedly cleared the name of Justice Amar Dutt for the newly set up Punjab State Vigilance Commission.

Justice Amar Dutt recently retired from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. It was he who had heard the famous KPS Gill-Rupan Deol Bajaj Case as District and Sessions Judge.

The recently concluded session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha passed the Punjab Vigilance Commission Bill even while the entire opposition stood suspended from the house.

The commission is being set up on the lines of the Central Vigilance Commission for enquiring into offences allegedly committed under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 by public servants serving the Punjab Government. Since corruption among public servants has become a serious problem, the state government decided to establish an independent body to exercise control over the functioning of the Vigilance and police establishment in respect of investigating of offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act more effectively.

The Department of Vigilance works under the Chief Secretary but for a couple of years, especially during the early years of the present Congress government in Punjab, it was put under the control of Principal Secretary, Home.

There is a central vigilance commission established under the Central Vigilance Commission Act 2003 to enquire into offences alleged to have been committed under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 by public servants of the Central Government. There is, however, no such commission in Punjab.