Corruption & Lokpal

As far India is concern certainly 2011 belongs to social activists Anna Hazare who during the course of the year three times in the month of April, August and December put pressure on to government to come up with Lokpal bill as common citizens of the country are grinding ruthlessly in the sharp teeth of corruption just to get their basic services’ done in the government offices’ not succeed in majority of cases’ until pass on money. Result of Anna Hazare’s campaign in the month of April government agreed to constitute committee to make Lokpal draft which will be introduce in the monsoon session of parliament, but when cabinet approves government Lokpal draft and ignore Jan Lokpal draft despite both versions had score of differences’ on lot of issues’, hence Anna Hazare again sat on fast unto death in the month of August and government succumbs to pressure while seeing the support he was getting from common peoples of the country and accepted his three major demands –

·        Citizen Charters for all government officers mean time bound services’ to the public, failure of it government employees would be entitle for punishment.

·        Lower bureaucracy should also come under Lokpal ambit.

·        Lokayuktas in all the states to have same power as of Lokpal has.

thus he gave up his fast but as next step of the bill was draft has to go to the standing committee of parliament and committee needs some time for addition or deletion in the draft, so bill can only be pass in the winter session of parliament. In the month of December when parliament session was on Anna Hazare senses’ that Lokpal bill will be delay further, he gave ultimatum to the government that if Lokpal bill not pass in the winter session then he will start his agitation again from 27^th December to 29^th December and then after very next day will start ‘Jail Bharo’ movement across country, parliament session was extended till 29^th December,2011 for debate on Lokpal bill, on 27^th December Loksabha passes the bill with few amendments and as government has not majority in the upper house that is Rajya Sabha it was evident that government play tricks so that bill will not fall on upper house and government succeed to hang the bill on the ground of constitution ground as parliament was extended only for the period of 29^th December,2011 till 12 midnight, and time allotted to leaders of different parties to debate on to the bill ended before it was completed, thus parliament cannot work beyond that time, now Lokpal bill is hanging but can be debate in the next session, hard fact of the other side of the corruption is that common peoples are clueless how to get rid from the problem of corruption? Recently survey by’ Politics and Economics Risk Consultancy’ which is Hong Kong based, released its report in which it had given 9.21 points out of 10 to India, which means that India is one of the most corrupted country of the world. Anna Hazare wants that class C of bureaucracy should come under the ambit of Lokpal as below coded four recent stories of Madhya Pradesh endorse his words –

1.      12^th January,2012, in Ratlam of Madhya Pradesh, lokayukta raided the Assistant Auditor Anand Pathak and seized –

·        Two Shops in Indore – 50 Lakhs

·        One Flat – 20 Lakhs

·        Two Shops in Rajendar Nagar – 24 Lakhs

·        One Plot at Highlink- 20 Lakhs

·        Two Plots at Gopur Nagar – 50 Lakhs

2.      12^th Jnaaury,2012 in Ujjain, Muncipal Corportaion’s revenue Incharge Kailash Saangtey raided and exposed illegal property –

·        Two storey house – 25 Lakhs

·        Bungalow – 50 Lakhs

·        JBC Machine – 2 nos.

·        Dumper – 2 nos.

·        Tractor – 2 nos.

·        Loading Vehicles -  2 nos.

·        Tata Safari – 1

·        Bike – 2 nos.

·        Shop – 1

·        Jewellery – Lakhs of Rupees

·        Blank Cheques’ – 56 Lakhs

·        Unnamed property from his relatives – 2 Crores

3.      17^th Jnauary,2012, in Indore Labour welfare department Incharge Brejendar Sharma was raided –

·        Houses’ in Indore – 4 nos.

·        Plot – 2 nos.

·        Agriculture Land – 3 Acre

·        Car – 1

·        Jewellery – 3 Lakhs

·        Cash – 61,000 rupees

·        Household items – 14 lakhs

4.      17^th Jnauary,2012 in Ujjain, Engineer Ramesh Diwedi recruited at P.H.E. Ujjain, raided –

·        Land – 20 Acre

·        Houses’-3 in nos.

·        Car – 4 in nos.

·        Dumper – 1

above coded stories are eye openers and shows that states which have lokayuktas corruption cases are exposed, even in Karnatka state due to revelation of lokayukta of illegal mining CM YR Yeddyuraapa  has been oust by his party and Ready brothers were arrested, so if India wants to change its image from corrupted country in the eyes of world then it needs not only strong Lokpal bill but also Lokayuktas in states and C level government employees under Lokayuktas, otherwise we are heading towards worst time ahead.