Govt to decide on acting CVC by next week

New Delhi, Mar 4 (PTI) The Indian Government is
considering appointing an acting Central Vigilance
Commissioner following the quashing of the appointment of P J
Thomas by the Indian Supreme Court.
Sources said one of the two Vigilance Commissioners,
former Police Chief of the southern state of Karnataka R
Srikumar and Chairman of Corporation Bank J M Garg, will be
made the CVC till a new chief of the anti-corruption watchdog
is selected by a high-powered panel.
They said a notification in this regard may be issued
by next week.
According to Section 10 (1) of the CVC Act 2003, "The
President may, by notification, authorise one of the Vigilance
Commissioners to act as the Central Vigilance Commissioner
until the appointment of a new Central Vigilance Commissioner
to fill such vacancy."
Both Srikumar and Garg were appointed Vigilance
Commissioners on September 8 last year by a selection
committee chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and
comprising Home Minister P Chidambaram and Leader of
Opposition in Lok Sabha (Lower House)Sushma Swaraj as members.
Srikumar, a retired Indian Police Services officer of
1973 batch, of the southern state of Karnataka, has served in
Central Bureau of Investigation and assisted a special
investigation team to probe former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv
Gandhi's assassination besides handling various crucial posts.
He was also awarded the Indian Police Medal for
meritorious service and President's Police Medal for
distinguished services.
Garg has had a distinctive national and international
stint in banking sector and his last assignment as Chairman
and Managing Director of Corporation Bank ended on July 31,
2010.
"The name of acting CVC will be announced by next week
through a notification. The formalities have already begun,"
an Indian official privy to the development said wishing
anonymity.
Thomas, a 1973 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre in
southern India, was removed by the Apex Court from the
post of CVC on Friday for his involvement in a corruption case
relating to Palmolein imports in 1991 that allegedly caused a
loss of over Rs two crore to Kerala government.
Thomas was the Food Secretary in the state government
at the time of the import.
It will take atleast two-three months to select a new
Central Vigilance Commissioner by the three-member panel, the
sources said, adding that the acting CVC will be in-charge of
the probity watchdog till that time.
Besides advising central government departments in
planning, executing, reviewing and reforming vigilance works,
the CVC is probing many high-profile cases like Commonwealth
Games related projects for financial irregularities.