As part of the fight against corruption, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the Citizens' Help Centre to register complaints of bribery in government offices, in Amaravati on Monday.
The Chief Minister also launched the citizens' helpline number 14400. Any citizen can call on this toll-free number to make complaints about corruption in government offices. Reddy himself called the helpline number to check its functioning. The help centre will register complaints and complete the investigation in 15-30 days.
The Chief Minister also released posters in English and Telugu to create awareness on the helpline. The slogans on the poster read: "Let's join hands to eradicate corruption," "Whenever you see corruption raise your voice", "Eradicate corruption, make Andhra Pradesh prosperous" and "Let's make Andhra Pradesh corruption-free state".
The help centre has been launched in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad. The government had stated last week that it had roped in IIM-A to work with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to check corruption in government departments.
The IIM and the ACB signed an agreement to work in coordination to identify corruption in high places. After a detailed study, they will submit a report to the government by February third week.
The panel will frame guidelines to curb corruption -- right from the village to the government departments. The lacunae in the present governance would be identified and corrective measures suggested, it said.
TDP hits out
The opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has lashed out at the move, and urged IIM Ahmedabad to first analyse Jagan Mohan Reddy's 'corrupt activities,' before doing a study on corruption in the state.
TDP state president K Kala Venkata Rao wrote a letter to Professor Sundaravalli Narayanaswami, Faculty Chair, Public Systems Group, IIM, Ahmedabad. The TDP leader wrote that he was bringing to notice of IIM certain examples of corruption that would be helpful for the current study.
"It would be worthwhile to study and understand the wealth amassed by the present Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Mr Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy through corrupt means. As you might be aware there are about 11 cases currently under process in special CBI court," reads the letter.
The TDP leader alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy amassed around Rs 43,000 crore of wealth through quid pro and corrupt practices during his father's tenure as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh (2004-09). He wrote that Jagan Mohan Reddy also spent 16 months in jail.
IANS inputs