FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION

• Lot of questions are being raised on the ongoing hunger strike for introduction of JANA LOKPAL BILL – Prominent among them are as follows :-

(a) By introduction of JANALOKPAL BILL or any other lokpal bill the corruption will not end in India.

(b) The hunger strike is unconstitutional as it is a direct challenge to the elected members and the parliament. THIS HUNGER STRIKE IS SHEER BLACKMAIL.

(c) The provisions of JANALOKPAL BILL are impractical and autocratic.

(d) It takes time for introduction of any bill in parliament because of procedural issues.

• Let us take each apprehension and deliberate on it:-

(a) By introduction of JANALOKPAL BILL or any other lokpal bill the corruption will not end in India. Agreed that it is just one of the ways to have a check on institutionalized corruption and to have an effective deterrent on potential corrupt head of the institutions. It is not a miracle potion or medicine that will end corruption. Even if it makes little impact it is welcome because that little impact will bring down the scale of corruption by a notch at least. Let us start in the right direction. There is other very important fall out of this JANA LOKPAL MOVEMENT. This movement has started creating awareness amongst the next generation, youngsters and children that corruption is not good. To give and take bribe is wrong. The sensitivities towards taking and giving bribes were otherwise becoming blunt in the new generation. The new generation started thinking that it is COOL to take and give a bribe. In fact it started becoming a management mantra. The ethics were lost while achieving various yearly financial and self advancement targets. Even the middle class in their zest in scaling the ladder of success resorted to these management techniques of giving and taking bribes. Slowly the mindset of the society was getting changed and we started becoming numb and did not see any wrong in giving and taking bribe. It started becoming an accepted norm in the civil society. We started thinking that taking and giving bribe is not a sin but a smart act. The person who was averse to taking and giving bribes was considered as idiot and unfit to live in a progressive society. People started forgetting that a true person earns money on his skill, talent, strength and not by selling his integrity and self respect. One cannot be priced and purchased for a few thousand rupees by an unscrupulous character. One cannot stand up and tell our own family and our self that it is I, who have sold the self and family respect for a pittance. Remember there is always a greedy family behind a corrupt person. One cannot say that “he forced me, or they forced me” because; ultimately the decision is ours to succumb. Those who are corrupt and resort to corrupt practices are antinationals and should be treated as traitors. Anna Hazare’s fast has made the young generation aware of this fact. It has also made the corrupt people aware that mere awareness of they being corrupt robs them of the strength to bulldoze and go in for more corruption. At least for next few years the established norms and ethics will get a rejuvenation, till another ANNA HAZARE phenomenon happens.

(b) The hunger strike is unconstitutional as it is a direct challenge to the elected members and the parliament. THIS HUNGER STRIKE IS SHEER BLACKMAIL. In the parliamentary democracy, WE THE PEOPLE comes first. The will of the people comes first. This Govt did not see any wrong when the known separatists, Hurriayat leader Mr Syed Ali Shah Geelani addressed this “Convention on Kashmir – Azadi: The only way” organised by the Committee for the Release of Political prisoners (CRPP). (Refer ‘The Hindu’ News Paper of 22 Oct 10) where in Arundhati Roy and Varavara Rao expressed their solidarity with Kashmiri seperatists who were ranting the chorus on self determination. This, prior arranged seminar was conducted in a five star hotel. The Govt of the day and the Home minister did not find any thing odd in this brazen act of seperatists, but found a threat to parliament when Anna Hazare an ex army man wanted to take along everybody to say NO TO CORRUPTION. In reality the popular perception of the society is, this Govt is WEAK, ARROGANT and SHAMELESS. The Govt thinks that if Anna Hazare’s fast is allowed it will become a precedent for future BLACKMAIL. What this Govt is insensitive about is the popular feeling of the citizens of this country to address the menace of brazen institutionalized corruption as was displayed by the shameless ministers who indulged in 2G, CWG scam, Hassan Ali issue and stashing of thousands of crores in foreign safe havens.

(c) The provisions of JANALOKPAL BILL are impractical and autocratic. If so let the bill be tabled in the parliament. Let the members debate and then introduce the safeguards. By doing this we the people would be able to see which members of parliament are serious in rooting out corruption and which members are against it. For anti terror a strong bill like TADA is required. Likewise when it comes to rooting out corruption at high places strong bill like JANALOKPAL is necessary.

(d) It takes time for introduction of any bill in parliament because of procedural issues. Procedures are there. Procedures will always be there. I remember this bill was first introduced in 1977 by Janata Govt and then went on in a circle for last forty years. Eight times it has been under Parliamentary Standing Committee. If our law makers can’t take a decision for forty years then it shows pathetic ineffectiveness of themselves at the least or proves their not so sincere intentions of fighting corruption at high places at the most. So when procedural time line is given as an excuse of delaying the process of LOKPAL BILL I would suggest let President of India promulgate the LOKPAL ORDINANCE immediately so that it comes into force and then parliament and Govt would automatically get six months to ponder and enact it in the two houses.

HAVE YOU TAKEN A RASHTRAVRAT?

IF NOT READ MORE ABOUT IT IN

 

http://rashtravrat.blogspot.com/2010/05/rashtravrat.html

CASE STUDY OF A ROAD

Everyday I go to my office on a bicycle. The road I take is from Old Madras road near Metro depot towards Bagmane Tech Park from Sudaganta Pallya, touching Mallesh pallya, winding through Vignan nagar and finally leading to old airport road near Helicopter Division. A distance of around 7 kms. While riding a cycle, I get lot of time to observe the road and the life associated with it as I am not preoccupied in finding my place on the road like other four wheeler drivers! Speed of cycle also gives time to ponder about the surroundings. I decided to do a case study of the road which I take everyday and do a feasibility check for scope of improvement so that the road users would have a better experience while driving on the road. This was to be achieved by reducing bottle necks, reduce the filth and increase the effective width of the road.

This particular road has garbage dumped at places where there is road turning or on the sides of the roads where there are vacant spaces. A total of 21 garbage points. There is not a single garbage collecting vat, build or placed apart from two which were found small and inadequate. People throw the garbage at these points. In fact over the years these points have evolved and emerged as the most suitable garbage throwing points and BBMP could use this ready piece of information to place suitable garbage vats at these vantage points, so that the garbage is contained in the vat and not get strewn every where on the road and the surroundings.

The garbage clearing trucks come at the exact time when all others are rushing for their offices. The garbage truck waits on the main road and scavengers manually put the filth in the truck. BBMP could afford the automatic mechanical vats, which could be fork lifted and taken to the garbage disposal grounds preferably in the night. All these services must be pressed into service when people are asleep and roads are empty. This is how it is done elsewhere in foreign countries.

Stray dogs and cattle surround the garbage increasing the inconvenience of the people moving on the road.

The roads are laid but the sides and kerbs are not done up properly. This causes the road shoulders to go unused and dangerous for the car and two wheeler drivers.

In fact the effective width of the road in many cases reduces by half due to parking, undone and unkempt shoulders and the trees protruding on the road. The effective width is reduced by the following irritants:-

• The trees should be either on the footpath if available and well trimmed. In many cases the trees are planted such that the trunk is on the road after the foot path. The expance or droop of the branches meddles with the traffic and in some cases interferes with the telephone and electric wires across the road.

• Buildings under construction. The building plan is such that it occupies every each of the plot or land without any open or free space. When under construction the construction materials are strewen on the main road which makes the road users thereby reducing the effective road width.

• Public and Goods carriers parked overnight which occupy sides of the roads further reducing the effective width of the road.

• Accumulated silt where the road meets the footpath and inadequate storm water outlets add to the misery during the rains.

• The electric poles are not relocated with the widening of roads, hindering the smooth flow of the traffic.

The quality of the tarring of the road is so bad that one has to be constantly on the vigil of the surface of the road rather than who is front of the vehicle, less the vehicle tyre goes deep into the valley like pit or suddenly sees a mountain like huge speed breaker.

It is not that the BBMP authorities don’t now how to go about setting the things right as I could see the last stretch from Aeronautical Development Authority (ADA) towards the old airport road, where the effective width of the road is equal to the width of the road because of the neatly maintained and silt free shoulders. The road is neatly done up where it meets the footpath. The road is marked and the road surface is comparatively of better quality. Still there are no garbage vats here also. An involved local corporater can prod, nag and get the work done from BBMP.

If the following tips are employed by BBMP this road can become a model road. The success of this road can then be repleted for any road in Bangalore and if BBMP selects and does one road per month then in five years time most of the roads in bangalore would become pleasant and presentable.

Tips for BBMP to ensure better and presentable roads:-

• Place vats at the garbage points. Pick the garbage in the night.

• Bring down the stray dog and cattle menace.

• Try to make effective width equal to the actual width of the road as explained in this case study.

• Mark the roads properly. Remember people have inherent respect for anything written, printed or marked. The first reaction is to follow the instructions. People would think twice to jump the marked line.

• Make overnight parking of the public carriers and goods carriers, not in the city but outside the city.

• For GOD’s sake don’t work in compartments. Have coordination between deferent departments.

THIS REPUBLIC DAY

TEN THINGS I WOULD LIKE MY GOVERNMENT TO DO FOR MY NATION AND MYSELF

1. Solve at least one case of money laundering and stashing the Nation’s money in Swiss Banks abroad. Make a case study of it which includes – how the money came, who were responsible and how was it used. Present this case study before the Nation.

2. Make at least one government organization transparent and corruption free – like Regional Transport Office. Make it a model RTO in the country and then showcase its case study to other RTOs.

3. Establish boundaries of our country. Especially those which are now in the form of Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Line of Control (LOC).

4. Spell out the policy on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) and determine the natural resources including mines, minerals and water bodies it has.

5. Identify all worship places belonging to any religion which occupy the roads and hinder road traffic in the Metros. Start shifting them by promulgating an appropriate ordnance.

6. Fix the responsibilities on the scamsters of Adarsh, CWG games and Spectrum including ministers.

7. Formulate a policy on hoardings on the roads and various wires going crisscross side by side every road.

8. Introduce ‘civic sense’ as a compulsory subject up to 10th class.

9. Introduce a legislation or ordnance and freeze the state boundaries.

10. Treat taking bribes and giving bribes a crime equivalent to antinational activities.





TEN THINGS WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE TO MY NATION




1. Make ‘Gen Next’ in our immediate neighborhood undertake RASHTRAVRAT.

2. I would try to bring down self ego.

3. Will be proactive in nation building.

4. Will Say NO to financial impropriety including corruption.

5. Will hone my skills, pursue my hobbies and exercise my body.

6. Ingrain good work culture and respect dignity of labour.

7. Stick to ethics and etiquettes.

8. Abandon self pity and be less finicky.

9. Be a visionary.

10. Observe positive tenets of my religion.



I will take a RASHTRAVRAT.