Lokpal – Two drafts.
The Joint Panel of the GOI and the Team Anna has failed to evolve an agreed draft bill to be discussed with the political parties before it goes to the PM ( Two drafts: one to kill, other to bill, DNA,22/6/11). The main points of disagreement are about the inclusion of PM, higher judiciary, bureaucray and MPs under the purview of Lokpal. None of them have acquitted themselves honourably in the recent past. It is to be hoped that good sense would prevail among all the political parties to include all these as India has reached a tipping point as far as corruption is concerned. In the last six months corruption in high places has dominated the not merely media but the mind space of the citizens. It started with 2G scam and CWG and then came Antrix deal. Now there is the approval of huge increase in the capital expenditure from $2.4 billion to $8.8 billion for KG D6 field. These are all astronomical figures. If the country loses so much money where 300 million people still live below the poverty line, it is criminal. The elected representatives are the trustees of the public wealth, not their owners. Unless the elite submit themselves for scrutiny, they would be discrediting our democratic republic. People in public life should be beyond suspicion.
June 22, 2011.
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