India needs 125 crore Lokpal Acts to fight corruption

Yesterday (Oct 5) I watched Abhigyan’s programme 'Sisayat Aur Bhrashtachar' (Politics and Corruption) at NDTV. In the programme, the young Indians appeared highly agitated to uproot corruption from India. And, the political leaders and political analysts, invited for the programme, also underlined the need to end corruption and focus on development. 

The young participants and some political leaders felt that enacting new laws and the Lokpal Act is a sure shot remedy to end corruption. However, JD(U) leader Sabir Ali felt that we already have very good laws which if implemented sincerely can remove corruption. I totally agree with Ali's views. However, I would like to add one thing here that if the Lokpal Act is considered a necessity then one Act won't do. Actually we all 125 crore Indians must enact our individual Lokpal Acts not to abet or indulge in corruption. 

A solid support for this argument is that recent poll surveys have shown that only a minuscule percentage of respondents consider corruption to be a poll issue. The C fore survey, published on Sept 19, 2013 in the Hindustan Times (HT), revealed that only 7% Delhiites consider corruption to be a poll issue. Similarly two earlier all-India poll surveys, conducted by the HT and The Week magazine, put the percentage of respondents concerned over corruption at 10 per cent and 18 per cent, respectively. So, corruption does not bother us much unless we are participating in a TV debate, or unless Anna Hazare sits on a dharna at Jantar Mantar or Ram Lila Maidan. For the anti-corruption movement to succeed, the young participants in Abhigyan's programme must abhor corruption in real life by not following themselves and also preventing their parents from treading the chai-paani route while dealing with the govt machinery. 

Regarding the political class's role in ending corruption, I strongly support the view expressed by NCP leader B P Tripathi in the programme, that all political parties must join hands to design effective ways to end corruption. This will ensure continued mass awakening and fight against participation cutting across castes, religions, and regions. 

In the programme, discussion also veered to development as a poll issue. I feel development is an issue which suits every politician for two reasons. (a) By undertaking development works a politician can fulfil the expectations of his/her electorate and can keep winning elections for a long time. (b) Any development work involves granting contracts worth crores of rupees, and it’s a godsend for the corrupt among the political lot to mint money.

An important but largely ignored aspect is the quality of development works.  Are we or our leaders concerned enough to ensure that we really get the expected return in terms of quality for the tonnes  of money being devoured by development works? Perhaps nobody is concerned. The reason: The masses have enough on their plate in the form of personal and family issues, and the rampant chai-paani culture makes even the honest among politicians/babus to look the other way when quality is compromised in development works. 

In this regard no govt is different irrespective of its political hue. For example, take the case of Delhi. An impartial quality and cost audit of the public works being carried out by MCD departments (controlled by BJP) and Delhi govt departments (controlled by Congress), will reveal same instances of unnecessary cost escalations, and lack of proper supervision leading to substandard quality in the works. So, our precious financial resources are not being used to construct buildings and infrastructure for 'sadiyon ke liye' though a company claims to produce cement for building 'imarats sadiyon ke liye'.

Another example on quality concerns comes from a story carried by The Week magazine few months back. The story reported that according to an NGO, Rahul Gandhi's economic package for Bundelkhand has allegedly been turned into a money spinner for the corrupt. Crores have reportedly been made through fake vouchers in the names of dead people, fake bills, non-transparent contracts and sub-standard works. It is alleged that among fake bills, earthmovers with fake registration numbers are mentioned, and scooters and motorbikes are represented as tractors used for digging to create rain harvesting structures.

Wish media devote due attention to the quality of development works as these are financed by budgets whose deficits are spiralling.