Tough times ahead for bribe givers!

The UPA government is all set to amend the Prevention of Corruption Act, which will also include punishment for bribe givers. The act till now only provided punishment for bribe takers. Addressing the National Editors’ conference in New Delhi on Sunday, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office V Narayanasamy said there exists a need to protect honest officers. He said, ‘The government is now focused on moulding ethics and moral values of officers to curb corrupt practices’. He said the Centre has also minimised time for disposal of inquiry against erring officers.’ He attributed public service delivery mechanism being the breeding ground for corruption, and once the Public Services Delivery Bill is passed, services will be provided in a fixed time frame.