In the back drop of the multi core rupees mining scam in Orissa, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today asked the common man to come forward in exposing the corrupt persons.

"People should come forward in exposing the corrupt. Today, the state is marching ahead in all spheres of development. Hence, it is all the more important for each one of us to ensure that corrupt practices do not derail the process of economic growth and development," Patnaik said while addressing the concluding session of the Vigilance Awareness Week-2009.

Stating that honesty and transparency were two pillars of democracy, Patnaik said the Right to Information Act had come as a great stride forward in achieving the twin goals.

Claiming that anti-corruption wing of the state was one of the best in the country, the director of vigilance wing Anup K Patnaik said even senior government officials were not pared.

"The state vigilance has registered 78 cases against 32

IAS officers, 7 IPS officers and 21 IFS officers during the last five years", the director said adding that while 11 class-I officers had been convicted in corruption cases, 37 class-II and 109 class-III officers were found guilty.

Besides probing into the mining scam, the vigilance wing had also exposed the corrupt people in Orissa Health System Development Project, Orissa Rural Housing Development Corporation and other tax evasion cases.

On the mining issue, the vigilance director said, "We have already registred four criminal cases and arrested nine persons out of which eight were officials of forest and mining departments."

"Prior to this year's mines enquiry and investigation, vigilance department had registered 13 cases aaginst various mining authorities. Hence, altogether 17 criminal cases have been instituted by the vigilance in mining sector", he said.