Corruption Busters

We are in the middle of a new season - the scam season. We first had the CWG mess followed by the "ideal" आदर्श ghotala, soon eclipsed by the Yeddy game [ at least this time it was the चड्डी वाले (RSS) who exhibited their expertise in Bangalore] finally to be dwarfed (as if to demonstrate that UPA could always surpass anyone else) by the 2G story that literally proved that in India, money can be made out of thin air (ordinary man's nomenclature for "airwaves bandwidth spectrum"). The Supreme Court's statement about "something rotten in Allahabad high court" was so "minor" an event in comparison that the baddies in उत्तर प्रदेश are all set to avenge this humiliation (how can others usurp our number one position in generating scams) by soon exposing something bigger related to Provident Fund deposits. If CM Nitish Kumar had not "emasculated" Bihar by developing it so handsomely, we would have had an enjoyable tussle for the number one position in this कौन बनेगा scam पती contest.

Genetic research will probably show that just like Indians are more prone to diabetes, we must be carrying a "corruption" gene that makes us "obsessively helpless" when it comes to succumbing to monetary temptations.

Jokes apart, will we never be able to cure ourselves of this disease??

I have come across many intelligent suggestions made by various agencies and individuals & I mention them for your perusal. All of them are easy to understand, some of them are easy to implement (provided we have the will to do so) - others will require constitutional amendments which are not impossible. The biggest impediment in implementing these would of course be our politicians who will most definitely oppose "cutting their own feet". The Congress party has made suitable noises through the presidential speech but their ability to walk the talk is suspect.

1. In all ballot papers for elections at all levels, let us create an alternative - "none of the above". If this "wins", all candidates appearing on that ballot paper will be debarred not only from contesting the re-election which will take place but also the next election in that constituency.
2. If a certain minimum number of voters in a constituency demand, they should have the power to recall their elected representative through a referendum to be conducted within the constituency.
3. No government orders for goods and services should be placed except through a public e- tendering process.
4. Entities that win government tenders should not be allowed to re-sell these or resell the companies through which these tenders have been won for a period of five years. This will stop the sham that presently goes on about the actual bidder wanting to exit the scene by creaming off the premium without actually implementing the project.
5. All powers of allotment of government land should be withdrawn from state Chief ministers. Instead, suitable committees comprising of captains of industry, representatives of NGOs and prominent citizens should supervise such allotment. Prior public notification of such proposed allotments should be published to invite objections if any.
6. All land records in the country should be computerized on a war footing.
7. The police department should be divided into two distinct sections; [1] Law and Order & [2] Crime investigation - CID. Only the former should be supervised by a political minister. The latter should report to an independent authority outside the purview of legislature.
8. The CBI similarly should not report to the home minister but to an independent authority making it the fourth pillar after the legislature, judiciary and the executive.
9. All lawyers should compulsorily serve as judges for one year in a bid to reduce the huge backlog of cases clogging our courts. Once this is achieved, we should be able to close a criminal litigation within 6 months and a civil complaint withing maximum 18 months.
10. Political parties should be treated as entities subject to compulsory auditing. Tax deductions should be extended for donations made to political parties. Elections should be state funded with each party depositing requisite amount of money for each of its candidates.
11. All contractors bills for Public Works carried out should be cleared only after verification of the work by a committee comprising of experts & also including citizens in whose area the project has been carried out.
12. Those charge sheeted (though not convicted yet) for criminal complaints should not be able to contest elections either for the state assemblies or Loksabha. If political parties get their opponents enmeshed in criminal complaints to debar them from contesting by taking refuge under this rule, the affected party will then also go out of its way to un earth criminal past of their opponents. This may actually lead to reduction in number of tainted candidates on both sides (a thorn being used to remove another thorn).
13. The ruling party will be able to appoint key ministers only after they are publicly interviewed and approved by a select committee of professionals in a televised interview.
14. Corruption cases above a certain threshold should be fast tracked. Names of those who are being investigated should be available on a public web site. Officers who misused their public positions and against whom charges have been proved should be debarred for life from operating as public servants apart from being liable to make good the financial loss that they caused to the exchequer.