National Anticorruption Strategy

Date: 10-09-2010

Shri K. Subramaniam
OSD to CVC
Central Vigilance Commission
Satarkta Bhawan, INA, New Delhi - 110023
e-mail: subramaniam.k@nic.in

Dear Sir,

Subject : National Anticorruption Strategy

I thank CVC for inviting suggestions of general public on above subject. I humbly submit as under:

1. A common Indian feels that there is too much churning out reams of reports by govt. offices on corruption [and such other matters affecting common persons], but there is no real and decisive action on the ground. There is every possibility that the above policy will remain on papers only. Few raids [on petty officers] here and there will be conducted immediately after launch of policy with all fun fair, to show to public and international media that India is serious about Corruption. It is not the deficiency of knowledge, but the efficiency of execution that is crux of the matter. India is heaven on papers but hell on ground for common citizen.

2. Expecting a govt. dept to eradicate or contain corruption of another dept is far fetched expectation at least in India. Normally corrupt officers get absolved by corrupting the investigating agency or dept. Judiciary normally sees what is shown to it by investigating team. This is an open secret.

3. Unless common man and civil society organizations are empowered [like RTI] to easily, safely and effectively challenge corruption, nothing much will change. Rewards like in Income Tax evasion cases need be considered to such informers of corruption. I am attaching my suggestion made to then CVC on 21-09-2000 [ a decade ago] for kind consideration.

4. The rule that anonymous complaints should not be entertained by CVC/SVC/Lokayukta/other govt. offices is one of the biggest facilitator of corruption and misdeeds in govt. offices. This clause guarantees safety to wrong doers, at the cost of life of whistle blowers who state their true name and address in complaints. It would be interesting to find out how name and address of the complainant would make any difference to gravity and veracity of contents of complaint. There is no justification on the part of govt. to risk life of whistle blowers by knowing their names and addresses. Govt. should be more concerned about contents of complaint.

5. If anonymous complaints are also being looked into by Govt., it will act as a deterrent to corrupt officers/politicians and other wrong doers, to some extent. Public has wealth of information which can be developed to contain corruption. Common man has first hand experience of corruption in govt. offices. However they do not want to share at the cost of harassment or life from politicians and high ranking officers of govt.

6. Our hon’ble Prime Minister is repeatedly emphasizing zero tolerance to corruption in last at least 5 years, but hardly any concrete and effective steps are taken under one pretext or the other. It appears that he is finding himself helpless like a common Indian. People believe that if only IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS and such other senior officers [central and state] are raided honestly and continuously for one year, govts. will not be required to levy taxes for next 5 years.

7. In fact working of CVC and State ACBs should first be redefined and reinvented to make them truly effective. They should have powers not only to recommend but to punish the guilty. They are totally ineffective when it comes to senior officers and politicians. These commissions and bureaus should be headed by a judicial officer [like NHRC, SHRC, Lokayukta etc] and assisted by bureaucrats/police. State ACBs should be accountable to CVC also.

8. Laws are old, irrelevant and out of date, causing injustice to common citizen, as majority of these laws were enacted by Britishers to keep Indians in slavery. Now these laws are used to frame common man by Indian rulers [politicians, police and babus]. In fact thanks to corruption that large number of Indians are presently not in jail, otherwise if all these laws are followed honestly [without corruption] by governments, half of adult population of India would be behind bars under one or the other law, regulation, rules, notification, GR, circular etc. Hence to contain corruption, laws will have to be rewritten befitting a democratic country.

9. Common Indian has now realized that it is not Governments’ lack of information and evidence leading to corruption, but lack of will of politicians and babus to act against corruption, which is their major source of income and wealth.

10. I am totally convinced that proposed strategy will be made to remain in books by corrupt system. There is no genuine political and administrative will to eradicate or even reduce corruption in India. Nothing material will happen at least in next 50 years in Indian corruption level. It will only aggravate. We shall also be corrupting the world, by exporting corrupt governance despite India being a country of religious population, whose religion stops at the last step of temple and last word of prayer. Has Govt. created conditions where honest Indians can survive and prosper?

11. Our judicial system [last resort for common man in India, other than media] has reduced courts to Kaydalays from Nyayalays and people have stopped expecting justice in true sense of the word from the system. This has given rise to internal terrorism [naxals etc] out of frustration and helplessness of common man.

12. Corruption now needs major super surgery and not dressing by preparing reports [which are not to be implemented in true sense]. When honest prime minister is finding himself helpless against corruption, how do you expect a common Indian to believe in reports and strategy framed by govt. depts. The strategy is just an eye wash and waste of time and public money. It is collection [copy-paste] of old failed ideas, which every one knows but no one dare to implement for lack of commitment. It will gather dust in a securely locked cupboard of a babu or a minister in New Delhi.

13.Every new law, rule [being enacted day in and day out] open up additional avenues for corruption by govt. servants and politicians, since laws and rules are being made to control [enslave] common man of so called free India.

14. Youths have now realized that they have to live with Indian corruption through out their lives from birth to death and hence they are learning tricks of trade [without being directly taught in schools which are run by corrupt managers]. They do not require “Indian Institute of Corruption” to master it. They learn by experience right from taking admission in schools through corruption.

15. We are only to wait for a revolution like ‘quit India’ for ‘quit corruption from India’ to happen. It will take one more Gandhi to take birth in India. In 1947 he replaced Britishers with Indian rulers, who have proved them to be worst than their predecessors at least for common Indian.

16. Please do not waste public resources for drafting such strategy and plans to be ultimately consigned to files. Better utilize hard earned public money by conducting raids on few corrupt politicians and babus. It would be interesting to replicate sincerely Corruption Eradication Commission of Indonesia.

17. Editorial of Times of India of 09-09-2010 on appointment of new CVC supports perception of common man of this country. Interview of recently retired CVC is more frustrating. He has become truly wiser on the day of retirement. He could have done some thing tangible [like Mr. Seshan, Ex CEC] when in chair. CWG has showcased to the world our expertise to get gold medal in corruption even before beginning of the games. Appointment of new CVC has raised many questions in media and civil society.

Yours faithfully,
J. P. Shah
Encls: as above