Hyderabad: The Forum for Good Governance flagged alarming ACB case pendency in Telangana and urged Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to initiate immediate reforms to restore accountability.
In a representation to the Chief Minister, FGG president M. Padmanabha Reddy said the growing backlog reflected systemic apathy within departments. He cited data obtained under the Right to Information Act to support the claim.
According to the data, the Revenue Department received 323 Anti-Corruption Bureau cases. However, officials disposed of only five cases. The remaining 318 cases continued to remain pending, with several dating back to before 2014.
A similar pattern emerged in Vigilance cases. Authorities closed just eight out of 129 registered cases. The remaining 121 cases remained unresolved. Many of these cases were more than a decade old, the forum said.
FGG warned that prolonged delays weakened anti-corruption institutions. It added that such inaction eroded public trust in governance systems.
ACB case pendency allows accused officials to continue in service
The forum alleged deliberate delays by some Secretariat departments. It accused them of shielding tainted officials by failing to act on inquiry reports. Even after Vigilance probes confirmed misconduct, departments allegedly delayed or diluted disciplinary action.
FGG said prolonged ACB case pendency allowed accused officials to remain in service. In several instances, officials continued despite repeated ACB traps. The forum said these delays harmed citizens and damaged the government’s credibility.
To address the issue, FGG urged the Chief Minister to enforce structural reforms. It proposed a strict two-year deadline to dispose of all ACB and Vigilance cases. The forum also recommended a monitoring mechanism to ensure compliance and timely action.
FGG said enforcing timelines would help restore public confidence and improve governance standards across departments.
