Combatting corruption

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, in his Independence Day address this year, mentioned about good governance and the need to put an end to corruption. Referring to the impressive economic and financial growth of Telangana during the past five years, KCR said that this was possible due to fiscal discipline which provided no scope for corruption. Referring to administrative reforms, Panchayati Raj and Municipal Acts as well as the proposed Revenue Act, KCR said that the existing legislation will not be sufficient to offer good governance. His proposal to revamp and reform the Revenue Department in order to curb corruption has drawn a favourable reaction from several sections of the people.

The CM made an honest confession about the prevalence of corruption in certain quarters of administration like the revenue department. In this context, it may be worthwhile to recall proceedings of the conference of Chief Ministers held on May 24, 1997, presided by then Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral.

The conference recognised that as the country completed 50 years of independence by then, and as people were assailed by growing doubts about the accountability, effectiveness and moral standards of administration, central and state governments should move together to justify the trust of people in the government by taking up the implementation of an Action Plan endorsed by the conference.

That was considered to be a major step towards a reform initiative in the country's administration with specific reference to effective and responsive administration. It was agreed that each state would work for the implementation of the Action Plan, making appropriate allowance for a variation on local circumstances.

The broad structure envisaged then was that the central and state governments would work together to concretise the Action Plan dealing with an accountable and citizen-friendly government, transparency and Right to Information, and improving the performance and integrity of public service. In the conference, it was agreed that immediate corrective steps must be taken to restore the faith of the people in the fairness, integrity and responsiveness of the administration.

Inaugurating the CM's conference, Gujral drew attention to the urgent need to come up with ideas and strategies for responsive and effective administration which could rebuild the government's credibility. He referred to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's statement that "belief in fair play and integrity" was the basis of a good administration. The PM felt that unrest and tension in some areas of the country is an expression of the people's frustration with administration. Some governments had set good examples of taking the administration to people which could be emulated by others.

The chief ministers and several central ministers attending the conference strongly endorsed the need for ensuring responsive, accountable, transparent and people-friendly administration at all levels and agreed that necessary corrective steps must be taken to arrest the drift in the management of public services. The conference urged that measures should be taken to restore people's faith, particularly the weaker sections of society, in the fairness and capacity of administration. Unfortunately, very little had happened during the last 22 years.

It was recognised that responsive administration depends on reforms in public service at all levels, adherence to ethical standards, basic principles of the Constitution and a clear understanding of the relationship regulating civil servants and politicians. It has to be clearly understood that the political executive should concentrate on policy formulation while implementation should be left to public services at various levels for which their commitment is very crucial.

The approach towards elimination of corruption in public services needs preventive measures, regular surveillance and a deterrent prosecution, dealing ruthlessly with the nexus of criminals and unscrupulous elements. It requires concerted efforts of politicians, public services and all stakeholders in civic society. It is necessary to remove the scope for any interference in the prompt prosecution and punishment of corrupt officials.

Various services and conduct rules should be restructured in order to review the integrity and efficiency of officers at any stage during their career followed by compulsory retirement of officers possessing doubtful integrity. Simultaneously, the preventive steps would include not only regulatory reforms to reduce the scope for discretion and secrecy at all levels but would make public disclosure mandatory for all developmental schemes and approvals.

The central and state governments should draw up a charter of ethics and service code for public services which is based on the fundamental principles of the Indian Constitution such as secularism, equality, impartiality, social justice, attention to the needs of the weaker sections, rule of law, etc. It should be agreed that the loyalty of public servants should only be to the service of the public and the rule of law.

There is an urgent need to tackle corruption and the increasing erosion of moral values in public life. It is not an exaggeration to talk about corruption in terms of a crisis or cancer endangering India's society, polity and economy. Corruption is rampant in certain quarters of administration like the revenue department and several other sectors where people come in daily contact with the administration. Corruption at lower levels takes the form of speed money for expediting approvals or providing legitimate services, or bribes for twisting rules. That is why there is a strong demand by the public for effective punitive and corrective measures to tackle the problem.

There should be no scope in the rules for any interference in prompt prosecution and punishment of corrupt public servants, and permission for such prosecution should be given within a prescribed period to investigating agencies. At the same time, clear norms should be laid down to prevent demoralisation of public servants on account of frivolous complaints or inquiries.

The investigating agencies and vigilance machinery should be strengthened. The preventive aspect of corruption in government or public sector depends on an independent and well-staffed vigilance set up. Amendments should be brought in relevant rules for the premature retirement of officials at a reasonably early stage in career to weed out elements which are either inefficient or of doubtful integrity.

Against this background, CM KCR's proposal to revamp revenue administration and do away with corruption is a welcome change.

(The author is Chief PRO to Telangana CM. The views expressed are strictly personal)