Tuesday, November 5, 2024
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‘Lokpal Bill should cover all sections of bureaucracy’

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SHILLONG: With the highly debated Lokpal bill likely to be passed in the monsoon session of the Parliament, the public in the State want that the much anticipated bill should not only cover corruption at high places as sought by the Union Government but that the “minor corruption” involving lower level officials should also to be brought under the purview of the Bill.Speaking to The Shillong Times, a fabrication worker who is watching the proceedings of the bill in television said, “ We ordinary citizens face corruption on a daily basis when we visit government offices for any kind of work.” He and others feel that officials at all levels should be brought within the Lokpal.”“It is ridiculous to include only the higher ups since the highly placed officials will then get their job done at the lower level. And it must not be forgotten that many things starts at the lower level,” said a retired bureaucrat.“Everyday, somebody or the other is paying bribe to get their jobs done,” said a person who went to the DC’s office to obtain a ration card. These commoners said that the poor are not even spared in case of the beneficiary schemes, meant for them.Interestingly a study by anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International India covering services such as public distribution system, hospitals, school education, electricity, water supply, land records and registration, housing, forest, National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), banking and police service (traffic and crime) found that all the above were afflicted by the scourge of corruption.This national corruption study on BPL households found that around Rs 9000 million were paid by the poor for availing these services.A banker said that benefits in the form of citizens’ charter, RTI, social audit and e-governance have not yet reached the poorer section, yet. “Items like PDS, free education, free electricity to the rural households etc. under central govt. schemes are hardly reaching the beneficiaries since the poor don’t have the capacity to bribe or contacts to avail these services,” lamented the banker.An elderly resident said that police are indifferent towards the problems faced by ordinary citizens. “Even the traffic police will harass the ordinary man or woman but will allow the high and mighty to break all rules.”A former college professor said that schools are unwilling to give admission and demand “donation” under fictitious heads to admit wards. “Corruption has spread like the plague and the Lokpal’s ambit covering all from the highest to the lowest can only eradicate this,” she said.A private contractor said that during the brief stint of President’s Rule in Meghalaya, he went to collect a cheque from the PWD office and offered as usual some money to an official. “I was told there is no need for money since if that spreads out then he will be in danger. He rather gave my cheque in just few minutes time, which will be the case if a stronger Lokpal bill comes into force,” he said.Meanwhile, State BJP General Secretary, Dipayan Chakraborty said the demands of the citizens is right and everyone should be covered under the Lokpal Bill.“As far as the BJP is concerned, we’ve made our stand clear that the party wants a stronger bill since Meghalaya is no way different in comparison with other states.Corruption has crossed all barriers and now in Meghalaya none can get their work done without paying any amount,” said Mr Chakraborty. He even said that the union government should make its stand clear and present the bill in the parliament since it needs to be debated with an open mind. “There are centrally sponsored schemes but the real beneficiaries are not benefited. It reminds me of the words of Rajiv Gandhi who once said that out of every rupee only 15 paise actually reaches the poor,” he said.

 

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