Anti-negligence bureaus set up
2005-08-09

BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- The authorities are determined to step up the efforts to deal with the crime of negligence of responsibility by government officials, by setting up anti-negligence bureaus at different levels, according to official sources.

The new bureaus will be based on existing investigation departments for fighting negligence of duty under procuratorates at different levels. At present, these departments do not have a unitary title, while they are powerful enough to curb this kind of malfeasant activities by officials.

Since most of those who have been convicted of negligence of duty are not "intentional" when committing the crimes, it has been very difficult for the authorities to punish these officials strictly in accordance with law.

A typical sympathetic saying for these officials is "they have done bad things with a good heart."

Negligent activities, however, have caused huge losses of life and property, which has aroused serious complaints and anger among the public.

In the future, procuratorates will join hands with other departments concerned to handle criminal cases involving negligent officials, said Wang Zhenchuan, deputy procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate.