New Delhi: After Congress chief Sonia Gandhi mooted a five-point plan at the recent AICC plenary session to put in place a system to confront corruption, the Centre is considering an ordinance to tighten the anti-corruption regime against politicians.
The Congress core group on Friday discussed the possibility of the new law which would tighten the rules to punish corrupt politicians and counter the popular belief that the system was created to benefit them. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi. Sources said that the government is considering the option of bringing an ordinance in the coming weeks and then putting it up for Parliament’s go-ahead during the Budget session.
The emphasis on tightening the anti-corruption system is aimed at winning over public opinion in the wake of a strong opposition campaign against the Centre. The opposition tirade against irregularities in the Commonwealth Games and 2G spectrum scams, and its stopping of Parliament business over the demand for a JPC, has put UPA on the defensive. Its woes have been compounded by revelations that leaders of the Congress and its allies are key suspects in these scams.
Faced with mounting fears of a negative public opinion, the Congress chief gave a five-point formula to regain public confidence at the plenary meet late last month while Rahul Gandhi too pitched for strong action against the accused. Sonia said a new system should be put in place to seek a time-bound closure of graft cases against public servants, especially politicians, as interminable delays undermined people’s faith in the system. She also asked Congress CMs and Union ministers to give up their discretionary powers, especially when it came to allotment of land. She argued that discretionary powers were the primary reason for corruption. The plan suggested by Sonia Gandhi led to the government draft possible steps as follow-up. It remains to be seen how the government will refine the existing procedures as graft charges against public servantsare governed by the Prevention of Corruption Act and complaints are also vetted by the CVC.
An addition of timeframe to clinch the case is seen as a possibility. Another option could be a timebound disposal of requests for sanction of prosecution. The government is also looking at procedures which can complete disciplinary action against officials not involving a court within one year.
The clutch of options to tighten corruption law against politicians is seen as a measure to counter the opposition campaign that the Centre was soft on graft. That the move is a concerted bid on the part of Congress is evident from the PM’s New Year’s eve message.
The Congress core group on Friday discussed the possibility of the new law which would tighten the rules to punish corrupt politicians and counter the popular belief that the system was created to benefit them. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi. Sources said that the government is considering the option of bringing an ordinance in the coming weeks and then putting it up for Parliament’s go-ahead during the Budget session.
The emphasis on tightening the anti-corruption system is aimed at winning over public opinion in the wake of a strong opposition campaign against the Centre. The opposition tirade against irregularities in the Commonwealth Games and 2G spectrum scams, and its stopping of Parliament business over the demand for a JPC, has put UPA on the defensive. Its woes have been compounded by revelations that leaders of the Congress and its allies are key suspects in these scams.
Faced with mounting fears of a negative public opinion, the Congress chief gave a five-point formula to regain public confidence at the plenary meet late last month while Rahul Gandhi too pitched for strong action against the accused. Sonia said a new system should be put in place to seek a time-bound closure of graft cases against public servants, especially politicians, as interminable delays undermined people’s faith in the system. She also asked Congress CMs and Union ministers to give up their discretionary powers, especially when it came to allotment of land. She argued that discretionary powers were the primary reason for corruption. The plan suggested by Sonia Gandhi led to the government draft possible steps as follow-up. It remains to be seen how the government will refine the existing procedures as graft charges against public servantsare governed by the Prevention of Corruption Act and complaints are also vetted by the CVC.
An addition of timeframe to clinch the case is seen as a possibility. Another option could be a timebound disposal of requests for sanction of prosecution. The government is also looking at procedures which can complete disciplinary action against officials not involving a court within one year.
The clutch of options to tighten corruption law against politicians is seen as a measure to counter the opposition campaign that the Centre was soft on graft. That the move is a concerted bid on the part of Congress is evident from the PM’s New Year’s eve message.
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