From Our Correspondent
GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday said that his government was ready to amend the existing state Lokayukta Act bringing the office of the chief minister within its ambit.
“My government has already decided to amend the existing state Lokayukta Act to add more teeth to it so that the Lukayukta can take up suo moto cases on the allegation of corruption and to bring the chief minister within its ambit,” Gogoi said while making an appeal to Gandhian leader Anna Hazare to end his fast as his life was precious for the nation and resolve the issue on Jan Lokpal with the Central government through dialogue.
He said in order to amend the state Lukayukta Act, the government would go for the model of Lokpal Act that is likely to come through in near future.
He said the present Lokayukta Act in the state had lots of flaws and loopholes that need be plugged.
Gogoi also agreed that corruption had emerged as a major concern for all and stated that it couldn’t be rooted out only enacting legislation unless people of the country decided not to give bribe to anybody.
“We have to have strong moral character to wipe out corruption. The giver of bribe is as much corrupt as the one who takes bribe. The onus is now on the people not to give bribe at any cost. For that to happen we have to have tremendous control over our selfish nature.
It is only the selfish people who give bribe,” Gogoi said.“Every system must have checks and balances. Even if the Jan Lokpal bill is passed, there should be a mechanism in place to monitor functioning of the Lokpal also so that the system remains efficient.
No ant-corruption law will suffice to root out corruption unless people don’t respond overwhelmingly to take use of it,” Gogoi said. The chief minister also laid stress on modernization and the system of governance throughout the country to check corruption and mentioned that e-governance and computerization of the administrative works would go a long way towards this end.