Vijayakumar

The One-Man Army Against Corruption

He has been threatened, harassed, hounded, disgraced, humiliated and all his complaints have fallen on deaf ears. He has been transferred six times in six months. But M.N. Vijayakumar refuses to call off his war against the corrupt.

Vijaykumar was the first IAS officer to declare his assets to the Lokayukta and there are only two other officers in the state who have declared their assets, when the total number of IAS officers in the state exceeds 200.

You have seen it on the tinsel screen. Hero is a one-man army against corruption in high places. He wages a war against the mightiest, single-handedly defeats the system and in the end packs all the corrupt to jail. When the curtain drops, the cinema hall thunders in wild applause. And you feel vindicated with a strange sense of personal triumph.

It’s a cock and bull story. To know what happens in real life, ask M.N. Vijayakumar, formerly posted as Regional Commissioner, Bangalore and the first IAS Officer to declare his assets and liabilities in Karnataka. Like the umpteen heroes on the silver screen, this real life hero has been relentlessly fighting corruption and for this crime, has been rewarded with six transfers in six months. He has been threatened, harassed, hounded, disgraced, humiliated and all his complaints have fallen on deaf ears.

Taking cudgels on his behalf, his wife Jayashree has launched a website http://www.fightcorruption.freespaces.com to carry on the movement against corruption and also ensure protection for his husband’s efforts. The website has caught the attention of some Indians in US who have lamented that the Bangalore media has not suitably highlighted the efforts of this courageous IAS officer. TWB seeks to address this grievance and this special feature on Sri Vijayakumar is a step in that direction.  Here is the story of the real life one-man army against the corrupt in Karnataka:

From September 2006 to February 2007 Sri Vijayakumar was transferred six times in six months, apparently because he had reported serious corrupt practices by senior officers. He had also informed the Chief Secretary in writing that he would like to watch to what level the corrupt would be protected and then approach the CAT and other Authorities. He hopes to get decisions from appropriate authorities that the requirement of absolute integrity in Service Rules also provides protection to the Whistle Blowers. Because of this he has not gone immediately to the CAT and there is another major reason which he will be revealing at the appropriate time.

Recently he took charge as Regional Commissioner, Bangalore but was summarily transferred within 20 days after his posting. Vijayakumar was about to introduce a system where in the public would be allowed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act to see files without making any application between 2.30 pm and 5.30 pm on every second and fourth Tuesday of every month. He also planned to make web viewing of the file. These developments threatened many corrupt people and he was transferred just 2 days before launch of the program.

Narrating their trials and tribulations, his wife Jayashree says that while her husband had faced intense harassment, the senior IAS officers against whom he had reported as indulging in corrupt practices have been protected. Vijayakumar had made many requests to the Chief Secretary in writing to discuss the serious issues of corruption by senior officers involving crores of rupees (most of it by three IAS officers working in the power sector and one of them the brother of the just retired Chief Secretary) but so far he has not been given a single opportunity. He met the Governor of Karnataka and the Lokayukta and briefed them about his efforts and the harassment meted out to him. He has continuously kept the Governor and the Lokayukta informed about his efforts and harassments in writing.

The Lokayukta informed that he could not take action suo-moto, as he has no power and informed that he would take action only if there is a complaint. In view of the various restrictions he could not file the complaint. So his wife filed a complaint against the just retired Chief Secretary for indulging in corrupt practices.

 “My husband is very determined in spite of many threats and not getting any support from the Government. He in fact has informed the Chief Secretary that if he is given a week’s time to work in the DPAR, he would come out with at least 10 serious cases of corruption suppressed by the DPAR,” her wife said.

Recently there was a report about the officials of the Bangalore City Corporation having huge assets and in their defence, they stated that IAS officers have properties in Singapore! In fact Vijaykumar was the first IAS officer to declare his assets to the Lokayukta and there are only two other officers in the state who have declared their assets, when the total number of IAS officers in the state exceeds 200.

Instead of encouraging and backing his efforts, the government chose to do everything to defeat his efforts. The persons against whom there was a question mark were allowed to continue, while Vijaykumar was transferred to see to it that it becomes difficult for him to pursue the serious corrupt practices of senior officers.

To add salt to the wounds, Vijayakumar was transferred to a post not given to an officer of his Grade - Principal Secretary. When his wife tried to enlist the support of other IAS officer’s wives, she found that “honest wives were rarer than honest officers”.

To know more details about the corrupt deeds of many IAS officers, RTI activists and concerned citizens can ask for and get copies of Vijayakumar’s letters addressed to the Chief Secretary since June 1, 2006, using the Right to Information Act.

Taking the crusade against the corrupt further, Jayashree Vijaykumar demanded that the officials in charge of major projects under Greater Bangalore should declare their assets and liabilities statements, otherwise the tax payers’ money, instead of making Bangalore into a Singapore, would be invested in Singapore!

There should be immediately a public declaration of assets held by all the IAS officers of Karnataka. There should be a public movement to force any person who is given huge project to declare their assets otherwise public funds will be in unsafe hands. The assets would be within and outside Karnataka including other countries. By seizing ill-gotten properties held by some of these officers, government is going to get substantial money to take up major projects of Greater Bangalore and there may not be any need to raise funds for these purposes. This will be much easier to do than recovering encroached government land in Bangalore. The state would both gain money and get rid of the corrupt in one shot.