NEW DELHI: Delhiites can now call a helpline to seek assistance in nabbing a government official or an organization seeking bribes for executing a public work or service in the capital. Launching the service on Wednesday, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal described it as a “helpline” that would help catch bribe-seekers and said it was not a “complaint number.
The helpline would instruct the caller on how to conduct a sting operation by secretly recording the accuser’s demand (in audio or video) to create the ‘first evidence’, on the basis of which government’s anti-corruption team will lay a trap to nab the offender red-handed.
Action will be taken within 24 hours of the first evidence being submitted to the state vigilance department, Kejriwal claimed. “This is an advisory number that will explain to you the way to hold a sting. But you cannot make a complaint on this number. The number, 011-27357169, will be active from 8am to 10pm, the CM said.
In the next few days, a four-digit number will be created for the helpline, making it easier for citizens to remember it. The service has been set up under the chief minister’s office and all cases would be passed on to the vigilance department after evidence is submit Asked if the department was prepared to handle a surge in complaints, Kejriwal said several police teams have been put on standby to tackle the situation.
“We have worked on preparing a back-end which is why it took us longer than expected in launching the helpline. We are prepared for a surge. I know a lot of you (journalists) would make dummy calls tomorrow,” Kejriwal responded with a grin.
On how he would tackle cases where officials do not ask for a bribe but refuse to get a work done, Kejriwal said his government would soon come out with an effective public grievance system to address the issue of delay in execution of work.
He also said that in coming days he would review the working of the 181 helpline which was constituted in a rush without enough back-end work. “For now, I have allowed it for another three months. However, in the coming days I shall review it, he also said
Bureau Report
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