From: Karmayog.org
Sent: Friday, March 02, 2007 10:15 AM
To: info@karmayog.com
Subject: Pl suggest systemic changes in Govt. procedures to reduce Corruption
One of the focus areas of the Anti Corruption Bureau, Maharashtra, is to “Exercise Effective Corruption Control”. This can be done by ensuring that Government departments are made citizen friendly and their procedures are designed so as to minimize opportunities for corrupt practices.
The Mumbai – Pact Against Corruption (M-PAC), which is a collaboration between the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the NGO Council and Karmayog, invites you to suggest systemic changes for improving procedures in Government Departments.
All suggestions received will be compiled and discussed with the ACB, after which the ACB will take up the same with the concerned Government Department and Ministry.
Examples of some of the areas where citizens have consistently been expressing difficulties include: the Octroi Department, the Regional Transport Office, the Building Proposals Department of the BMC, the SRA, etc.
Please be specific in your suggestion regarding particular Government Offices e.g.
– which are the points of corruption there, why, and how should the procedure be changed
– what other steps e.g. disseminating information, changes in policy should be done by them
Examples of good procedures and best practices that you have experienced would also be welcome.
M-PAC details are at www.karmayog.org/m-pac/
Other information is at www.karmayog.org/anticorruption/
ACB news are at www.karmayog.org/acbnews/
Let’s not be sceptical about curtailing corruption.
Corruption is caused due to gaps in procedures. That’s it. It’s that simple and straightforward.
Laws which are fair, and implementation procedures which are well thought out. That’s usually all what’s needed.
Regards,
Vinay
Responses (41-60) :
41.
From: SUNDERLALL DHINGRA
Examples of some of the areas where citizens have consistently been expressing difficulties include: the Octroi Department, the Regional Transport Office, the Building Proposals Department of the BMC, the SRA, Asstt Registrars for Building registrations in different areas of the city etc.
These are very good examples for starting transparent working of these offices.
Every transaction in these offices need be transparent and time bound and preferably web-based.
Dhingra
sl.dhingra@gmail.com
[True, but easier said than done.
- “Transparency” is a very catch-all word. It sounds great but no one knows its meaning.
- Regarding “time-bound”, it may be more useful to assume that not only is everything time bound but is actually truly delivered in a time-bound manner i.e. the fault is always of the citizen in not giving proper data, etc., or someone else in the organisation not doing their job e.g. allocating resources. Then one will realise why stating “time-bound” is not enough. What I am trying to say is that it is usually very difficult for the head of the dept to prove that a govt. servant is not delivering in a time-bound way. He/she can only crack the whip. And that never lasts.
- Web-based is necessary, but it needs to be form-based, database driven, and erp linked. This is neither easy nor cheap.
Regards, Vinay]
42.
From: A.V.Shenoy
ISO certification is a good idea as it sets a datum line for performance.
However, knowing babus well it is to be seen whether they would like to bind themselves.
Shenoy
av_shenoy@vsnl.net
[1. Some BMC wards and even some police stations have got ISO certification last year. I wonder if anyone knows the impact of that in their performance (internal and external satisfaction)
- Maybe this can be mandated in due course — beginning with it being recommendatory and incentivised with extra budgetary support, etc.
I would appreciate thoughts on this. This seems to be a promising suggestion. Vinay]
43.
From: KEITH GORE
- Just as the Police have formed Mohalla Committees & Eagle Brigades to help them in the various areas of Mumbai by giving them I.D.Cards.
The ACB can have a training programme for selected Registered NGO groups who could come forward to help in this regard. Reporting all such cases to the ACB. directly. Traps can be laid on such information.
- Table space could be provided in the various Govt. Depts with a board displaying : In case of Harassment or Corruption please contact the Volunteers from the ACB here. This itself will create a scare in the departments concerned.
- ACB officers of each zone should visit these centres in the course of the day, showing they mean business. This could help in a great way to start with.
Keith Gore
k_gore9@yahoo.co.in
[Great idea! I am sure that ACB would be willing to train NGOs. Will your NGO come forward? Or any other NGO of the group.
Reg. point 2, the issues would be a) how to ensure honest volunteers, b) volunteers would ultimately need to be paid to make this sustainable, in which case, why should they not be ACB employees, and c) every Govt dept mandatorily has a Vigilance section precisely for this purpose.
Reg. point 3, policing is not in ACB’s brief. There role currently more is during or after bribing and not before bribing. That is why the idea of the M-PAC initiative because ACB also believes that prevention is better than cure.
Vinay]
44.
From : Keshav Acharya
Thank you for your reply.There has to be discussion on
this important subject among all concerned.
Corruption and communal riots are really connected. If
a corrupt person like Lalu favours Muslims, they in
their turn, ignore his corrupt practices and vote for
him. That is how corrupt persons create vote banks
based on religion so that the communal voters vote for
them despite their corrupt practices.
This may happen to Hindu communalists too; but Hindus
are not united on the basis of their religion like
Muslims. I know some Hindus, too, ignoring corruption
of Hindu leaders if they talk of Hindutva.And communal
riots boost vote banks based on religions.You will
find if you discuss corruption, most of the anti-Hindu
persons will not take Lalu’s many scams or Bofors case
seriously.The anti-Hindu politicians know this and so
they continue their anti-Hindu politics to cover their
corruption and mal-practices.
Simply filing returns of assets and getting them
opened on complaints is not sufficient.As a routine
the CBI must look into the assets of all ministers
etc.
Yes CBI is not independent.I am going to write an
article on it. I am enclosing herewith a part of the
draft of the article:
The former Director of the CBI, U S Mishra had
admitted that the autonomy of the country’s premier
investigating agency was a myth. ” Every time a case
is registered, phones start ringing and influencial
people start putting pressure” Mishra had stated
( ToI-15-4-05).
Former prime minister VPSingh had stated that
Chandraswamy was acquitted in the St Kitts case due to
the bungling by the CBI (Navabharat- 26-10-04). The SC
had censured the CBI for the delay in arresting Pappu
Yadav in the case of the murder of the CPM’s Ajit
Sarkar( ToI- 9-10-04).
The IE, said in its editorial, ” Centre’ Bureau” (
18-1-06) that the premier investigating agency
functions as the cats-paw of the government. It has
also said that “If Abu Salem had a political
godfather, CBI would have argued he should stay in
Lisbon”.
In its edition of the next day the newspaper had a
news entitled, ” In London, CBI gave clean chit to Q;
to Delhi court, it said opposite”.
In a two full-page article, entitled ” Central Bureau
of Inefficiency”, in the IE ( 21 July 2002) Coomi
Kapoor and Dalip Singh have explained at length how
the CBI works not to investigate all cases but to
destroy evidence in some. The article has written that
the CBI was under the Home Ministry, but Rajiv Gandhi,
involved in the Bofors scam brought it under the PMO.
Recently the CBI has started some cases against Maneka
Gandhi, Jaya Bachchan and also Najma Hepatulla, thanks
to the UPA, but has been going slow in the case of
Vincent George, Sonia Gandhi’s ex-personal secretary
in the disproportionate assets case and also a forgery
case. The CBI has also not done anything in the HDW
submarines scam case involving Rajiv Gandhi.
YPSingh, a former IPS officer, who has studied also
Law, has written a book ” Vultures in Love” which
exposes corruption in the CBI. YPS had to resign from
his post; in his resignation letter, he said: He was
“harassed” while “Betrayers” were rewarded ( ToI –
2-12-04).
According to FPJ ( 23-11-04), the former Director of
the CBI, Joginder Singh said: ” During my tenure, a
senior minister of the then ruling party told me to go
“soft” on former Bihar chief minister Laloo Prasad
Yadav in the multi-crore fodder scam.
All this shows that the CBI works as an agent of the
ruling party. At present it has become the Congress
Bureau of Investigation.
– Keshav Acharya
45.
From: “Swati Dhawan” <swatid_16@…>
I had a suggestion regarding the functioning of the Department of Science
and Technology-Central as well as State.
The process of giving grants and appointing Research Fellows for its various
projects is very bureacratic,reasons for applications not being considered
are not given to the candidates and then the government complains that the
best talents go abroad or that no one in our country takes up research or
MNC jobs are what young scientists aspire for.They need to make the system
more transparent,the process fast(as it takes months to get a reply from
them) and criteria for application more flexible and the staff more
co-operative and the officers more open speaking to the common man or the
applicant.
Mostly projects and grants are alotted to people who come with contacts in
the department or to people who are fraudulent and are not sincerely working
on a project.
I sincerely feel the SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE REVAMPED.
Swaati
[1. Have you used RTI? If not, pl do so immediately.
2. Pl suggest how the system should be revamped.
Regards, Vinay]
46.
From : Anil Chopra
What is of primary importance is setting up process of managing ethics & integrity standards
I wish to discuss with ACB, NGO Council & Karmayog this process and then dialogue Municipal Corporation, for example…. ?
If this interests you, pl respond to me….. ????
Anil Chopra
Management Consultant-Enterprise Governance & Business Ethics
Former, Senior Consultant, Tata Sons
5 B Somerset Place
Sophia College Road
Mumbai 400026
Land: 91-22- 23517420 ; (Cell ) : 9821223455
email : achopra1@vsnl.com
[Great. I will co-ord a meeting with ACB.
Meanwhile, would you be willing to develop a resource section in www.karmayog.org on your expert areas. Pl see the ‘Manage a Resource Section’ link. Vinay]
47.
From: Sailesh Mishra
- This is an classic example of Participation/Joint project between NGO/Organisation and Govt Dept.
Thanks for all your good effort to improve the life of common man.
We all are responsible for Corruption,we have given birth to this blood sucking virus which eating society at jet speed.
Our lifestyle,desire to get thing done at speed we all promote corruption.
- Before going ahead with the policy,why no educate the masses about the corruption and its long lasting implication.Why not tell companies and citizens not to promote corruption and stand against it like China Wall.If we want we all with common agenda can withstand the corruption.Lets Start an debate in media,discussion with different forum for eradicating corruption.
3.The foremost important for movement against corruption is to let people know where to complaint,that is for what kind of corruption to complain to which dept/organisation.Also we need to build confidence in common man that his identity will kept secret.Common man does not know the procedure of complaining and he is also scared of the implication afterward form the particular dept/person.
- So public awareness drive can be also undertaken about corruption,different ways of corruption,how not to encourage this,complaining procedures etc.
- Also any corruption complaint enquiry should be handle by joint committee of concern govt dept/complaint authority and NGO,where impartial action can be taken.
Its very important to note that corruption is Social problem,and its curse to any society
Sailesh Mishra
sailesh2000_2000@yahoo.co.uk
[Thanks. 1. Pl educate us about the long lasting implication of corruption. I am curious about what points would get covered in that.
- ACB news comes almost everyday in the newspapers. What else do you suggest? BTW, would you (i.e. you personally) complain against corruption? I am very curious how many of our group members would be willing to do so before assuming that the common man would want to.
- Systems exist within each govt dept. They don’t receive enough complaints. NGOs are not needed. RTI is good enough, at this stage.
Regards, Vinay]
48.
From: Baldwa DrMahesh
- If I list the causes of corruption then it may consume hours for you to read on but
- I shall enumeraste two causes which are root causes of eight percent corruption in India corruption.
- Most of indian corruption feeds and breeds thease two main causes which are
- judicial, legislative and executives procedural delays & procrastination
which can be eliminated giving fixed time period for deciding the matter at hand
- Laws, rules, regulations, permits licences with unobstructed discretionary powers given to judiciary,legilative and executives.
This can be checked by discretionary power making authority while using discretionary power should be justify in writing and comunicate to person affected with in specified time period.
- To cut short the whole story, it is the curtailing time period of government procedure and fix time period for discretionary desicision which should be reasoned, if need be they can be challenged with out delay.
Dr. Mahesh Baldwa
drbaldwa@yahoo.com
[Thanks. 1. Pl do list the causes of corruption. It would be useful as we are trying to get some deeper insight so as to see what would be effective steps under the Mumbai – Pact Against Corruption program, etc.
- How did you get the 8% figure? Or did you mean 80%?
3a. But how? Resources are limited. Demand is much more. There is a clear and obvious demand – supply mismatch i.e. demand of services by citizens vs. supply capability (funds, manpower, computerisation levels) of govt. orgs
3b. I think that file notings have to be made i.e. reasons for the decision has to be made even when discretionary power is used. It is another matter that citizens may not wish to or be able to or know how to get hold of these file notings and take up the matter at another level. Often the reason is that the citizen knows that he has his own hidden weak points which make him vulnerable in a fight.
- Have you had any occasion to challenge a govt procedure? What happened? Or is this just some conceptual thinking about others’ problems.
Regards Vinay]
49.
From: Mario.Lobo
One of the most blatently corrupt people are income tax officials who deal with the corporate sector. Unfortunately they assume bribe taking is their right even when the company is playing it absolutely straight. The amount of harassment that is caused through repeated meetings and presentation of documents is difficult to imagine. Mr Chidambaram must do something about this. On line filing is certainly a step in the right direction.
Mario.Lobo@ray-bern.com
[Can you please have the Institute of Chartered Accountants send a detailed note regarding this? One would presume that they must have made suitable representations already. Regards, Vinay]
50.
From: Arvind Amin
Because India Inc. loves politicians engaged in rapists and murderers, they vote for Mafia governance. This is why corruption will star in out nation. If one is really serious about removing corruption in the nation, then stop casting your vote in each and every election. By voting for Mafia polity, you are helping them to hide the real facts of our democracy. We no longer have a Secular Democracy. It has been replaced by Goondocracy, Lootaracracy, murdercracy and rapingcracy.
From a great power, we have become the scum of the world. Please open the following links, to learn how great was our nation.
1.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4ush_thinking-allowed-sanskrit-tradition
2.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=343027990173813480&sourceid=zeitgeist
3.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=746758120466217212&q=himalayan+pilgrimage
Arvind Amin
ask34amin@aol.com
51.
From : Vijayaraghavan Sarangapani
I have all aspects of this initiative of MCGM.
a. Praja was studied and its good aspects are taken into consideration. A presentation given by Praja wa also taken into consideration while designing Citizens’ portal.
b. The proposed Citizen’s portal covers internal workflow also theerby providing continuity, reducing overall time taken for rendering services including complaint redressal.
c. Above all, it provides an opportunity to citizens to know the status of their applications/ complaints directly and instantly.
d. Further, time limits are also set at each stage of the processes with automatic mechanism in place.
e. Management can get the status at anytime directly without any one’s help and thereby removing “filtering of vital information”
Based on this only, I have offered a few suggestions.
Vijayaraghavan Sarangapani
v.sarangapani@tcs.com
[They were also to take the LACG Charter ( www.karmayog.com/lacg/lacgrules.htm ) into account. Did they? Vinay]
52.
From: “Sukla Sen” <suklasenp@…>
Thanks a lot for the info about the website.
As regards my own suggestions regarding reduction of
corruption, I do hold that citizen activism – both
collective and individual, and the system in place
must constantly interact to get the system(s)
continually updated so as it to make it/these more
transparent, responsive and conducive to encourage
citizen’s intervention and activism.
The RTI is definitely a significant step forward.
But a lot will depend on how, and to what extent, the
citizens actually make use of it.
Universalisation of primary and secondary education,
and curriculum incorporating topics on citizens
rights and responsibilities and also what instruments
are available, for responsible exercise of these
rights, and how to make use of these along with live
demonstrations and case studies would hopefully go a
long way just not to curb corruption but also to
humanise and improve administration.
Citizens’ campaign and monitoring committees, as are
under way in case of the RTI – on a somewhat limited
scale, should set an example.
Beyond these broad, and perhaps a bit too general,
suggestions, curbing of corruptions must have a
four-pronged approach.
The public departments – a constantly expanding list
of which may be prepared with inputs from various
quarters, must:
I. Suitably display, in a manner noticeable and
accessible, by the general public some essential info
about their operations.
The mode of display to include website, but preferably
should go beyond.
The content initially prepared by the department, must
be continually developed with feedback from the actual
and potential users.
The website, and whatever else, must have an inbuilt
system to invite feedbacks.
There should be provision for more active involvement
of citizens’ monitoring committees, if there are any.
II. Specific info must be available on demand, with
least hassle and cost.
The mode of obtaining must be well publicised both by
the government and citizens’ groups.
(The RTI to be properly used and further
strengthened.)
III. There must be dedicated cells to receive
complaints and act upon these.
<http://darpg-grievance.nic.in/> appears to be a
significant step in the right direction.
Widest dissemination of info is a must.
Lastly,
IV. There must be a dedicated site to display the
assets and liabilities statements of public servants,
suitably segmented and stratified. This is to be
updated every year.
It should also include elected “people’s
representatives” to various bodies from the gram
panchayats to the parliament.
The members of the judiciary must also be included.
Here there is an obvious threat of information
overload so as to make it unusable and ineffective.
Hence it calls for proper application of mind to
suitably design the site, scanning the data, automatic
exception reports generated, and some sort of manual
monitoring in place to locate/identify potential
fudged data.
These suggestions given above are only meant to
trigger off some more brainstorming and generation of
effective ideas.
– Sukla
53.
From: kamal sharma
I have checked out the greivance redressal website. it is genuine and comprehensive under the Dept of Adm reforms and Greivance redressal.
What can be more simple than online renewal /filing of driving License and change of address in Election Card. IT takes two years of visits trips to get this done. The govt staff is actively preventing all this.
For new students and persons on transfer, you cant imagine how difficult it is to open a bank account bcuz they dont have adl and ecil.
I have been thru it and have seen how fresh graduates have a difficult tile at this.
Kamal Sharma
54.
From: Sailesh Mishra
Thanks for your reply.
By long lasting implication I meant- that many of us just encourage corruption/or become part of this system because we take SHORT CUT to Success.For eg when we want to get our file clear in govt dept we our self give bribe and forget that it is one more extra support to this Giant of corruption and then it becomes part of system and when it becomes hurdle for us then we start complaining.We complaint against what- the system what we promoted.
All this kind of small bribe we pay becomes long lasting,and then it requires joint effort and movement and ages to remove corruption.
ACB news comes every day,but it is part of small system,why not make it part of daily update kind of report and have monthly/fortnightly discussion on it,why not have system where we publicise the dept which promotes most corruption,why not have community/forum discussion of different types of corruption.The reporting of corruption happens like any other crime report or any other report,with this reporting more should be added-it can be moral of the story or public figure every time saying that don’t promote corruption.
Also yes I will complaint,but Iam not sure what kind of harassment I will undergo after complain,from the dept and person against whom complaint has been lodge and from the complaining authority where we lodge corruption- how many time I have to go?.This is because I am not clear about the procedure and I don’t have confidence in the system.,
Yes you are right the dept of complaint exist but please note many of us don’t know, the busy lifestyle has not made us to know this.Why not publish list of dept and procedure for complaint.Why not publish the booklet,and distribute through NGO,forum,community etc.RTI is there but how many people have time and patient,there should be body-NGO/group,who constantly reminds people and do all the PUSHING against CORRUPTION.
Sailesh Mishra
sailesh2000_2000@yahoo.co.uk
55.
From : M.D. Kini
Corruption – Systemic changes needed in laws, procedures, rules and regulations
to control it.
Transparency, responsibility, accountability, participation and responsiveness
(to the needs of the people) as the key attributes of good governance according
to the Commission on Human Rights. If we can introduce them in the in all our
laws, procedures, rules and regulations, we may be able to control, if not
eliminate, the rampant corruption in our body politic.
How rampant corruption is in our country is revealed recently by a study, India
Corruption Study (2005) by the Centre for Media Studies ( Free Press Journal,
31/2/07). It states that Indians pay a bribe of Rs. 21,068 crore annually for
availing 11 public services such as hospitals, lower judiciary, police. The same
report quotes former Central Vigilance Commissioner who mentions the
inefficiency and corruption in customs, central excise, income tax and the
enforcement directorate.
Let us take a specific case of bad roads in Mumbai. ” Low bids pave way for bad
roads in city”, states a report in the Times of India (22/2/07). It says that 14
contractors have quoted around 12% below the officially estimated rates and four
have quoted 10% to 15% below the estimates. The report further states that these
contractors form a cartel and distribute the work among themselves by floating
firms in the name of their family members to stop others from entering the
tender invited by BMC.
” One way to cut through the musclemen is to go in for e-tendering wherein bids
are accepted on-line,” says ex-Municipal Commssioner Sharad Kale in the same
report. Kale suggests that the BMC should demand that the contractors give a
cost-analysis statement where they have to show how they would meet the expenses
at a lower cost while maintaining the quality.
The report concludes, ” But with everyone, from the tendering and standing
committee to the senior officials, being kept happy with kickbacks there is
little will to bring about transparency in the process of contracts.” What a
shame !
This illustrates the malady of corruption. We know the problem and we also know
the solution. Now, the question is, how to implement it.
This again proves that bottleneck is always at the top of the bottle and the
fish always rot from the top.
The suggestion made by Shri B.Rajaram, ex-CMD of Konkan Railway and the inventor
of Anti-collision Device and Sky Bus Metro Technology, in his note sent to you,
should be adopted. He says that the tendering committee should conduct
proceedings in the open ( open for people and the media) and record their
reasons for the acceptance of the tender then and there. The committee should
also invite objections from the public and experts and give the final
recommendations. This may require an amendment to the municipal law and we have
to request the Government of Maharashtra to do so at an early date. In the
meanwhile, karmayog can ask Congress Party and BJP, who came to you for
suggestions, what are they going to do about this.
Vinay, can I make one more suggestion ?
To find solutions to corruption in any of the government services, the best
thing is to have a small group of people consisting of ex-bureaucrats from the
same service and experts from the private service along with a couple of
sufferers of that service. Wearer knows where the shoe pinches – change in
rules and procedures etc.
-M.D.Kini
[Reg. your last para, how will / who will bring such a group together? Any
thoughts. Vinay]
56.
From : Ram
This has reference to your letter of 2nd instant.
Needlss to say that the corruption is both wide spread and deep rooted. Its
eradicatioles than desired level will need a surgical operation and not by any
pil or other oral liquid treatment..
You have specified about 4 departments as examples. Yes they may be tackled
by the anti corruption deptt personnel itself by being companions of the the
public members who have to interact with the staff of those establisments for
clearances of their matters. Listen or be a witness to what transpires between
the staff and the party. If any demand for bribery is encoutered, the ACB
personnel should jump in to nab the culprit.
Why old method of the demand being made, matter reported to ACB and then catch
the culprit red handed with marked notes? This is a discouraging lengthy system
in vogue since ages and yet has not succeeded. [What system can you suggest
that will hold up as evidence in courts? Vinay]
Secondly, all offices of notorious departments must be equipped with complaint
books like on railway stations and public should be advised to record their
complaints of demands for bribes.
These complaints must be treated as lodged with the ACB and looked into by the
its high ranking official/ personnel periodically.
The best of all will be that the ACB should work on the models of CBI and I.
Tax department. As these two gather information on its own and strikes mostly
with a fair amount of success, the ACB can obtain the same results.
The very thought of the the ACB being empowered to strike suo moto will create a
fear complex in the minds of government servants. At present finding the entire
process quite cumbersome for the complainants, the bribe seekers draw
consolation from it.
As far suggesting simplification of procedures in numerous departments of the
state govt. to which the reach of ACB is posssible and permissible, neither you
Mr. Vinay, nor me or for that matter any other member of public ia aware of the
defects in the procedures to suggest rectification/amendments. Can you boast of
knowing all the defective procedures prevailing in various departments.to
suggest changes therein.
[I am of the opinion that merchant associations of each trade can very easily
and should put up detailed notes about the problems / defects and methods of
improvement to the various authorities including the department itself, the
concerned ministry, ACB, its own membership and the public at large. They may
already be doing so to some degree. ACB, however, has never received such
communication as far as I understand.]
Now, even if you know some, will the ACB take upon itself the task of
reccomending the same for changing it to the departments concerned and will
the departments go ahead with bringing about those changes.I think not. [ACB
will forward it to the department and ministry. Thereafter someone can chase the
paper trail via RTI, etc. too. Steps towards change are necessary. One can’t say
that I wont start unless I am assured success. If we can take the trouble to
write emails about all and sundry matters, surely we should not bring up such
arguments to not take up the matter. Vinay]
To conclude, the only way to achieve the reduction in corruption will be by
the method adopted by the CBI and Income tax i,e suo moto gathering information
and then striking all those supected of the crime. [You have mentioned this in
the past. We, the public at large, must demand this of the Government if we have
to see this happen.]
I repeat the disease is extraordinary and, therefore, the treatment should
also necessarily be extraordinary.
Ram
57.
From : Dr.S.Satyamurty
I am responding from Hyderabad.
1.Corruption:
I find that corruption is promoted by educated noveau-rich middle
class by their mindless dispensing of largesse only to buy time or
bother of persistent stand off.
1.1 For example recently there is the problem of property tax levy
for our apartments. Many are very willing to shell down Rs. 4000/
without receipt to get over the assessment process etc. Also the rules
have provided for some discretionay decision powers to the authority
in the assessment in the range of 15% to 30% of annual assessable
rental value. Why can’t they simply fix the values and publish them
for all cataegories as provided in the rules?
1.2 The electricity department is used to collect a whopping Rs. 1000/
for transfer to the electricity meter from the builder’s name to the
apartment owner’s name!! Again the people are mindlessly giving the
amounts. There is immense multiple copy documentation to be done with
affidavits etc., which can be simplified.
1.3 The story is the same with the property registration office,
where it has become country wide practice to give off record payments
openly across the table itself before they register the document. The
rates must be fixed clearly and liberally in favor of the consumers,
so that they do not get tempted to use other means to reduce them.
2. Judicial System:
2.1 Recently I was fighting in a consumer forum redress case against
the builder. Normally the cases are supposed to be finished within 3
months. But there are so many possibilities of prolonging, at every
stage, the hearings beyond a year even or two . One of the issues is
that the procedure allows to go in appeal to the higher court at state
level and also to the national level even before the district court
gives its judgment and there are no issues of writ of mandamus
involved. By a simple order that no consumer case, under whatsoever
circumstances, can be heard at a higher court until the lower court
has given the verdict would put a stop to frivolous procrastination
by the effected opposite parties.
2.2 The courts are woefully manned without judicial or administrative
staff. In these days where the software people are paying upwards of
Rs.1.0 lac p.a. for even ordinary graduates , how can judges or
stenos be paid measly salaries? Many courts are inadequately manned
or those appointed will not join at all. The courts are just out of
action for months on end.
2.3 On any and every case there is the freedom to continue litigation
right up to the Supreme court in various tiers of 3 or 4 levels. There
should be time limits imposed as well as cut off limits without any
further appeal after one or two stages of appeal.
These are some of my practical suggestions.
Dr.S.Satyamurty
58.
From: Jay Chauhan
I am also a lawyer in Gujarat and understand the legal system there. My speeches I made in Gujarat and Chandigardh are at website http://www.jayantchauhan.com/ under speeches. I would suggest that a panel be built across India of interested lawyers who would take on the challenging cases to reduce the corruption.
Jay
59.
Name :GOUHAR AZEEZ
Organisation (if any) :BHARATHIYA PRANI MITHRA SANGH
Telephone :91 44 24511876
Subject :CORRUPTION IN ANIMALS CINCERNED DEPARTMENTS
Messa ge :It was very disturbing to every one except the corrupt vice-chairman, officers of the Animal Welfare Board of India and the butchers who slaughtered the camels on the new years day, which was also bakridd festival. Our sangh approached the Honorable High Court of Madras for banning the camel slaughter on the Bakridd day the HC issued the stay but due the highly corrupt above mentioned the stay was vacated. We need your kind support to fight this noble cause. We shall forward any documents you require.
Gouhar Azeez
Founder Secretary
60.
From: Sundeep Jalan
VinayJi,
I am not well versed with Govt. Procedures, i.e. how they function. I believe that there exist systems within every Dept. for effective functioning,, and strictly adhering is the key.
SndpJalan
[unfortunately, they don’t exist. Nevertheless, Jay Hind anyway. Vinay]