Imphal, May 04: In accordance with the directive of the Supreme Court to grant autonomy to the State Vigilance Commission, the State Cabinet will be taking up the agenda for discussion during one of its sittings very soon, Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh assured the House today.

He was replying to a Private Member Resolution brought up jointly by Opposition MLAs O Joy and RK Anand to discuss the issue of autonomy of the State Vigilance Commission and to pass the matter by the House during the Assembly session today.

The Chief Minister said although the proposal is commendable, yet there is the fear that it may be misused by filing false complaints against any Minister, Police officer and other Govt officials.

In that case it may do more harm than good.

That is why the Government has some reservation against giving autonomy to the Commission, he remarked.

Before taking a final decision on the matter, there is the need to study which are the States with autonomous Vigilance Commissions and the modalities adopted by them.

So the State Cabinet would be taking up the matter as an agenda in one of its sitting very soon, the Chief Minister assured.

Moving the Private Resolution Motion, MLA O Joy pointed out that Anti-Corruption Bill has already been passed in other States.

Manipur should follow suits and passed a similar bill.

Until and unless, if the Chief Minister gave an assurance in this regard as the leader of the House, he would not withdraw the motion.

Ultimately, the two MLAs were prevailed upon to withdraw their motions by the Speaker as the Chief Minister has assured that the matter would be taken up for discussion by the State Cabinet.

During the course of the discussion of the motion, Joy asserted that non-compliance of the Supreme Court directive given for giving autonomy to the State Vigilance Commission which was instituted on May 28, 1981 by the State Government has led to increase in corruption level and political influence in any case thereby denying justice.

This is really unfortunate, he said.

Joy pointed out directive for giving autonomy to the respective State Vigilance Commissions has come about after the Central Vigilance Commission was made an autonomous body in connection with the Hawala case in 1991.As per the provisions of the Commission of Enquiry Act, 1952, the State Vigilance Commission has the power to institute inquiry.

But in Manipur the same power cannot be used against IGP, DIG, DG or DC while instituting an inquiry, he noted.

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