Indian government to fight corruption with SMS and e-mail alerts

17.04.2012
India's Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is considering sending SMS alerts and e-mails to inform complainants about the status of their corruption complaints, according to a Press Trust of India (PTI) report.

These measures will ensure greater transparency and fast handling of cases, the agency said in its report.

The commission, a central agency to tackle corruption cases in the country, has reportedly asked "Chief Vigilance Officers (CVOs) of all government departments to use a state-of-the-art online application specifically developed for the purpose while dealing with people's grievances".

A CVC official told PTI that they are working on the system currently. "We will be starting up with complaints in which 'necessary action' is required. The future course of action will depend upon its outcome," a CVC official said.

The CVOs, who are appointed in every government department, are getting separate log in details.

At the moment, the Commission has an anti-corruption hotline which the general public can use to lodge corruption-related complaints against public servants.