Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Central agencies to strengthen “zero tolerance” policy towards corruption and said there should be no safe havens for those committing crimes against the country.

Addressing a joint conference of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Modi said his government aimed to further reduce “compliances and [the requirement of] No Objection Certificates (NOC)” which were primarily responsible for the “web of corruption”.

“You need to strengthen New India’s policy of zero tolerance for corruption. You need to implement laws in a way that poor come close to the system and the corrupt moves out of it”, the Prime Minister said during his virtual address. The conference was themed around a New India that is increasingly using digital tools to push back corrupt practices.

The Prime Minister said that his government had established faith among people in the last six-seven years that it was possible to fight corruption and get benefits from various government schemes without involvement of middlemen.

“In the last six-seven years, we have been able to establish faith among people that it is possible to stop corruption in the country. People of the country have faith today that they will get benefits from government schemes without any middlemen,” PTI quoted Modi as saying.    

He also called upon the officers of CBI and CVC to rededicate themselves to abolishing corruption from all walks of national life and said that “corruption takes away the rights of people and hinders the pursuit of justice for all”.

PM Modi remarked that the 21st century India no longer wants corrupt governance. “...Earlier, the way the governments and systems were, they lacked both political and administrative will. Today, there is political will to attack corruption and continuous improvement is also being carried about at the administrative level,” the Prime Minister said.

He also reminded citizens that the implementation of laws made by the government was their responsibility.

(With inputs from agencies)