KUPWARA: A Workshop on concluding event of Vigilance Awareness Week-2023 themed ‘Say No to Corruption; Commit to the Nation’ was organised on Sunday by the District Administration Kupwara at Town Hall.
The workshop was organized to raise awareness among government employees, general public and Whistle blowers about the perils of corruption and the importance of integrity and ethics in public service.
Deputy Commissioner Kupwara, Ayushi Sudan presided the workshop which was attended by General Public, RTI Activists, Social Activists, traders, transporters, vendors and District officers and Sectoral Officers of District Administration Kupwara.
The Deputy Commissioner while interacting with the participants said that Vigilance awareness refers to the state of being watchful, alert, and attentive to prevent and detect any unethical or corrupt activities. It is often associated with efforts to promote integrity, transparency, and accountability, especially in government and public-sector organizations.
Vigilance awareness programs are conducted to educate individuals about the importance of ethical behavior and to encourage reporting of any wrongdoing. It plays a vital role in maintaining clean and ethical governance.
DC said that earlier grievance redressal was limited to approaching officers, but nowadays there is systamatic change in grievance redressal mechanism. There are multiple online grievance redressal platforms/ Portals where officers and officials remain under a continuous watch.
DC added that, whistle blowers play an important role by reporting wrong doings and identity of whistleblowers should be safeguarded under provisions but at the same time some persons resort to false complaints and blackmailing under the garbe of Whistle blowers, RTI activism, Social Media and vigilance, which harms the reputation and effectiveness of the officers and the department in the whole.
False complaints and blackmailing needs to be discouraged and tackled promptly, she added.
ADC Kupwara Gh. Nabi Bhat on the occasion said that corruption is a serious menace spoiling the society and remains a significant impediment to the economic, political, and social progress.
The key speakers of Anti Corruption Bureau Jammu and Kashmir were the DySP Shafiq Ahmad and Inspectors from the ACB, J&K, who delivered lectures on the menace of corruption.
The workshop further emphasised the importance of strengthening departmental vigilance frameworks to combat corruption effectively.