Stem The Rot
Structural changes are needed to fight corruption
Structural changes are needed to fight corruption
This looks like the season for scams.As the CBI searches the premises of former telecom minister A Raja and his associates breaking news,more often than not,concerns the unearthing of some new scam.Evidently,our systemic response to corruption is not up to the mark.As acclaimed economist Jagdish Bhagwati recently remarked,hardly anyone gets punished for graft in this country.However,as long as corruption prevails,it will continue to eat away at our development policies and retard overall growth.
The 2G spectrum scam is a good example of how we havent been able to shed the licence-permit-quota raj mindset.The policy of first-come-firstserved,whether in allocating precious spectrum or in doling out mining licences,has become a convenient tool in the hands of politicians to disburse patronage.Powers of discretionary allotment often provide convenient loopholes to corner resources such as land,spectrum or minerals.Lubricating the vicious cycle are unscrupulous bureaucrats like former Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Neera Yadav,convicted in the Noida land scam for bending the rules for a particular industrial group.Thanks to her connections cutting across the political spectrum,she was promoted to the top administrative post in her state despite being voted one of its most corrupt bureaucrats.
The extent of the rot in the system is apparent in case of UPs foodgrain scam.Thousands of tonnes of foodgrain meant for distribution to the poorest of the poor under various welfare schemes were brazenly siphoned off between 2004 and 2007.The scam reportedly involves over 450 class-I government officials and another 800 middle and lower-level public servants,apart from thousands of private entities.Preliminary investigations suggest that the sheer volume of the embezzlement would require the authorities to file over 5,000 FIRs,as well as construct a few separate prisons if all the accused are arrested.
Drastic structural changes are required to address the malaise.The implementation of systems like the UID (renamed Aadhaar) is key to streamlining government services and ensuring that welfare schemes reach the intended beneficiaries.PDS is tottering and deserves to be replaced by alternative schemes,such as food coupons or direct cash transfers.It is also imperative that those suspected of graft,no matter how high and mighty,are speedily investigated and prosecuted.Conducting raids after a year of filing an FIR,as in the 2G scam,will not produce results.Investigative agencies such as the CBI need greater autonomy to be insulated from political compulsions.Getting worked up about corruption is no longer enough.We need to put in place alternative mechanisms to stem the rot,as well as punish the guilty.