Vigilance seminar with focus on ‘culture of integrity for nation’s prosperity’ held

Kolkata: Vigilance Awareness Week, marking its 25th year, is a pivotal initiative aimed at promoting a culture of transparency and integrity across all sectors, particularly in public services. This year’s theme, “Culture of Integrity for Nation’s Prosperity,” highlights the critical role of ethical values in strengthening public trust and establishing a corruption-free society.

As a part of observance of Vigilance Awareness Week, Eastern Railway and Metro Railway jointly organised a seminar at Belvedere Park Railway Officers’ Club, on Wednesday. The event saw a distinguished gathering of officials and guest speakers focused on the significance of vigilance in public service. The programme commenced with a ceremonial candle lighting led by Swami Divyananda Ji, Adhyaksha of Udyanbati, Cossipore & vice-president of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, accompanied by General Manager of Eastern Railway, Milind Deouskar and General Manager of Metro Railway, P Uday Kumar Reddy. The event also featured the presence of Additional General Manager (AGM) of Eastern Railway, Sumit Sarkar.

In his welcome address, Anand Bhatia, Senior Deputy General Manager (SDGM)/Eastern Railway & Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of Metro Railway emphasised vigilance as a core component of integrity and accountability.

The seminar included compelling talks by guest speakers:

Swami Divyananda Ji discussed virtues such as self-respect, self-sacrifice and self-confidence as essential foundations of a corruption-free society. He extended festive greetings for Lakshmi Puja and Diwali. Prof. Vimal Kumar from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kolkata, focused on the importance of transparency and ethics in organisational frameworks. Debabrata Das, Associate Professor of English at Rabindra Bharati University, addressed vigilance as an essential mechanism to cultivate trust within society.

In his remarks, Milind Deouskar, General Manager of Eastern Railway, highlighted that a proactive approach to vigilance includes knowing and adhering to rules, following the correct procedures and embracing digitalisation for bringing more transparency in working procedure. P Uday Kumar Reddy stressed on the importance of digitalisation and anti-corruption initiatives as essential steps toward a transparent public service.

To mark the occasion, Eastern Railway and Metro Railway released their vigilance bulletins, “JAGRITI” and “PRAYAS,” respectively in presence of Milind Deouskar and P Uday Kumar Reddy.