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Notwithstanding whosoever becomes the prime minister after the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the fact remains that there is a full fledged list of priorities for the top executive in the South Block to make India a better place to live in. An initiative by the Think India Foundation found that the nation genuinely believes that the new prime minister has to go to the root of many key issues in order to curb corrupt practices across the board. This was the issue addressed in the course of a panel discussion anchored by founder and editor, Network18 Raghav Bahl, in which former IPS officer Kiran Bedi, author Gurucharan Das, professor of Sociology, Shiv Nadar University, Dipankar Gupta and Think India Foundation, CEO, Dhiraj Nayyar took part in. The panelists also put forward a host of suggestions that the next head of government would have to urgently address. Here are some highlights of the discussion:
Kiran Bedi. Reuters
Implementing Lokpal "Corruption can be handled in two ways — bottom up approach and top down approach as in by the law. We are beginning with the CBI which is a national body. The CBI is looking after millions of Indian government employees and very soon the Lokayukats will also come up. The eight-member Lokpal will be diligently chosen and all cases referred to them will be under their direct supervision," said former IPS officer Kiran Bedi giving her views on Lokpal law that was passed last month.
Giving his views on Lokpal, author Gurucharan Das said, "My feeling is that it is a victory. We waited for 40 plus years since it was first suggested by the Santhanam Committee. My concern is it would be a proof of the puddding when it is able to convict people in public life. And our court system will now have to deliver."
Professor of Sociology, Shiv Nadar University, Dipankar Gupta wanted even more teeth to the Lokpal. "If Lokpal has the powers to investigate and prosecute I will the happiest with that. There are some things to be ironed out. Like the KPK (Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi) in Indonesia, people from CBI should be hived into Lokpal and let's say work for five years and go back to their parent organisation," he said. Think India Foundation, CEO Dhiraj Nayyar believed that it is important for the Lokpal to have its own officials. "Lokpal needs to have its independent cadre for officials to function properly," Nayyar said.
On Aadhaar "I do not know if it has reached the common man like the Lokpal. I don't know if it was debated enough like the Lokpal for the common man to understand. That's why there are inherent defects leading into many controversies," Bedi said explaining why the Aadhaar mission is not as successful as it ought to be.
Das praised the very concept of Aadhaar and said that the inextensive banking network is not an impediment to the execution of Aadhaar. "I think it is an execllent idea and it can really transform the delivery of services. I am not worried about the shortcomings in the banking system because it has been designed in such a way that it can be executed in a kirana (grocery) store. For example, Chhattisgarh has done a good experiment by executing it through the kirana stores," he said.
Gupta allayed fears that Aadhaar is a medium of privacy invasion by the government. "The fear of invasion of privacy is overdone. The state should know about citizens so that can deliver. However, one lacunae is that Aadhaar card is useless when someone moves out of his/her house. Aadhaar should work all over the country," he said. Stressing on the positive uses of Aadhaar, Gupta said, "Paying wages as per data on Aadhaar to private workers will bring the unorganised sector into the organised fold."
Nayyar concluded the discussion on Aadhaar saying, "Delivering government services through Aadhaar is a definite improvement." On natural resources "In this matter I would go by Gandhiji's concept of trusteeship. No natural resource can be owned by a political party, minister or bureaucrat. There should be a national ownership. Auction is the most transparent method so far available but there should be a sense of trusteeship," Bedi said offering a solution to preserve natural resources like coal blocks, airwaves, gas etc. from exploitation and corrupt intentions.
Das also supported the idea of auction. "Auction is the right way to go. We have to remove discretions from the politicians and the bureaucrats. Safeguards should be build to remove the possibility of crony capitalism," he said. Gupta dealt with the matter of auction of natural resources to stop corruption a little more deeply. "Auction by itself is not a virtue. Auction is good up to a point. You have to make things work. For example, in the coal blocks an auction without the land being cleared for mining might lead to corruption as some people might think they have the leverage to make it happen. The government must have a puiblic policy function on the basis of which they should have an auction for coal bloacks, gas, sand etc.," he said. Giving hius views on the auction of natural resources, Nayyar said, "The motive of the auction should be mentioned clearly even before starting it so that it can be defended later. For instance, if revenue maximisation is not the motive then that it should be clearly stated." On land "In the developed economies we can buy and sell land online. We should also have everything online to end corruption," Bedi said offering a solution to stop corruption in real estate matters. Das felt that the stamp duty on land dealings should be abolished and the cirle rates should be equivalent to market rates. Gupta called "appetite for real estate as n insatiable desire". "It is the mother of all corrution," he said. Saying that land is a "daily corruption issue" but "without enough play", Nayyar said it is a primary agenda for the new prime minister to end graft in real estate dealings at all levels. On electoral funding Bedi mooted the idea that a'' political parties should have their funding details available online. Appreciating what Bedi said, Das felt that it was a great idea to have details online. "AAP should be congratulated for doing that for the first time," he said. While Gupta praised AAP for showing how transparency can trump non-transparency, he appeared averse to corporate funding. "Corporates should not fund political parties," he said. Nayyar said that there is nothing wrond with with corporates givinng money for electoral causes butit should be transparent. On judiciary Coming down hard on the judiciary, Bedia said, "Judiciary needs to clean its own house first." Author Das blamed the government for slowing down the judiciary. "The government is the biggest villain in judiciary. The number of government cases pending are 65-70 percent. The government should go for methods like arbitration etc. and should not always indulge in litigation," he said. Gupta chose to give the example of Punjab where except for 11 areas in the state there are no government cases pending in courts. "The case histoty of each person should be evaluated and if an individual have already crossed the maximun period of ounishment for his or her crime, he/she should be allowed to go. Moreover, judgements should not be beyond 20-pages," the professor said referring to the whole lot of bulky judgements made by the courts running into hundreds of pages. Cutting down time in trials is a key thrust that Nayyar gave to judiciary. "The judiciary should also get out of the business of executive and deliver judgements," he said. On e-governance "There should be E-governance and P-governance i.e., personal governance. This will allow people to come closer to government services even in places where the internet penetration is not sufficient. The bureaucrats must have time for a town hall meeting," Bedi said. Das said that e-governance removes the possibility of corruption and it may help in winning votes. Nayyar said that mobile phones can be helpful in fulfilling the gap where the internet hasn't reached enough.
