Three-year campaign to crack down on corruption in poverty alleviation projects

BEIJING, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Top disciplinary watchdog of the Communist Party of China on Friday announced that it would launch a campaign targeting corruption and malpractice in poverty alleviation projects from 2018 to 2020.

"The campaign aims to supervise Party and government officials so that they can well fulfill their duty in the country's ambitious poverty relief projects," said the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) in a press release. "Embezzlement and misuse of poverty relief funds, bribery and nepotism will be priorities."

"Local Party and government officials will also be under scrutiny to see if they are perfunctory in implementing projects, and so are officials of central agencies, including discipline inspectors themselves," the statement said.

The campaign will also aim to curb bureaucracy, red tape, cheating and misjudgement.

On Thursday, the CCDI released the names of 27 former and incumbent officials who were involved in eight cases of graft, including the embezzlement of subsistence allowance funds, fraudulently obtaining subsistence allowances or funds for renovating dilapidated houses, and blocking villager access to social assistance.

China aims to lift all people above the poverty line -- per capita annual income of 2,300 yuan (348 U.S. dollars) -- in rural areas by 2020.

Also on Friday, the CCDI opened a new section on its website for the public to report officials that the violate frugality rules during the upcoming holidays of New Year and Spring Festival.

Citizens can use the CCDI app and WeChat account to report officials who spend public funds on luxury dinners and sightseeing tours, frequent private clubs or organize indecent gatherings. Enditem