Chhattisgarh to enact Special Courts Act to rein corrupt babus

RAIPUR: In a bid to tighten noose on corrupt babus, the Chhattisgarh government has cleared the draft for the Chhattisgarh Special Courts Bill, 2015, which would pave way for setting up special courts to try corruption cases against tainted bureaucrats and officials and would empower the state to seize, confiscate and attach properties that are earned through dishonest means.
A cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh, cleared the draft bill on Wednesday and the same is likely to be introduced in the ensuing session of the state assembly. The Bill, which is on the lines of the ones enacted by some other states earlier, provides for seizure, confiscation and attachment of movable and immovable assets belonging to the government servants who are found guilty of amassing wealth disproportionate to their legitimate and known source of income.
The draft legislation also provides for setting up of special courts to deal with corruption cases against officials. As per the draft, once the government launches prosecution in cases of disproportionate assets, the same would be referred to the special courts for speedy trails.
The bill also provides that after registration of cases properties under scrutiny cannot be sold, purchased or transferred and if they are, such transaction would be considered as null and void. The post of empowered officers would be created for the confiscation of such properties.
According to officials, the bill has a provision that the decision by the Special Courts in such properties can only be challenged in the High Court. However, the High Court would have to decide on the appeal within six months. The time frame for disposal of the cases by the Special Courts would be one year.
The bill also provides that in case of a clean chit from the appellate court, the seized assets would be returned to its owner.
While several states have enacted similar legislations, Orissa was the first state in the country to enact the Special Courts Act in 2006. While the Orissa government had last year seized properties worth crores of rupees from a retired bureaucrat after his conviction by the special courts, Bihar has also launched proceedings against several officials under its Special Courts Act.
Meanwhile the cabinet also approved a new Electronics, IT/ITeS policy with an intent to make it an income and employment generator. The new electronic policy, which is part of the state’s industrial policy, would focus on IT Developers, IT Development and Electronic Manufacturing Units and Data Centres.
The cabinet approved a host of incentives like subsidies on interest, capital and land premiums. Under the new policy, Interest Subsidy, which was 75% of the interest paid, maximum upto 60 lac per year for 7 years, has been upgraded to 75% of the interest paid, maximum upto 1.1 Crore per year for 8 years.
Capital Investment Subsidy, which was earlier 45%, maximum 1.4 Crore, has been revised to 50%, maximum upto 1.5 Crore. Additional incentives of 5% on Capital, Interest and Land premium subsidies would be provided to units employing more than 50% workforce of Chhattisgarh domicile, or starting production within year 2015-16.
The government also approved incentives for small and medium industries, including 50% subsidy on lease rent, reimbursement of training cost of IT Professionals upto Rs 20,000 per employee and subsidy upto 30% on Bandwidth charges among others.