New Delhi: Two former top government officials, including a bureaucrat, are to help the AAP government in Delhi realise its promise of ‘swaraj’ and monitor the anti-corruption helpline for the people – at a token salary of Re.1 a month.
Former Madhya Pradesh chief secretary SC Behar, the man behind the successful concept of ‘gram swaraj’, that helped bring decision-making powers to the village level in the state, is to work at the token salary to help the AAP government draft its much-talked about swaraj (self-rule) legislation in Delhi.
Former Delhi Police joint commissioner N Dilip Kumar, who is to monitor the AAP government’s anti- corruption helpline to nab bribe takers, will also draw Re.1 per month as ‘symbolic amount’.
“Both (Behar and Kumar) have been appointed as advisors to the Delhi government and will draw a salary of Re 1,” a top government official informed IANS on Sunday.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had decided to choose Behar for the “complicated” job of drafting swaraj to ensure participation of people in decision making through establishing “mohalla sabhas (community meetings).
Behar’s concept of ‘gram swaraj’ in Madhya Pradesh was hailed by many, including foreign university scholars, for empowering village panchayats in decision making.
Kumar, who earned the sobriquet of “sting man” for carrying out 50 sting operations, says he and Kejriwal share the “same wave length” and this led him to work for the AAP government.
Kumar will monitor the Delhi government’s just-launched anti-corruption helpline that helps people nab bribe takers.
The helpline – 1031 – was swamped with 23,000 calls in just two days and has already led to the arrest of three people so far and created fear among wrongdoers.
The former bureaucrat said he has already started preliminary work for drafting the legislation, which a Delhi minister admitted, will be far from a cake walk. (IANS)