Corruption has become widespread in our civil society. We are gradually losing ethical standards, which we once boasted were exemplary. Indians were known for contentment and austerity, the essential elements of a peaceful and virtuous life. These virtues have left us and we have fallen a prey to greed and materialism.
We accept that human beings cannot be angels. But that is not a license for unbridled aberration and greed. When the society allows aberration, governance becomes a victim. We are crying for good governance. How can it come about when those who are to deliver governance come from a corrupt and dissipating social system? We are heading towards a disaster of sorts if we do not mend our ways by voluntarily imposing strict ethical code on our selves. No legislation and no accountability mechanism proves viable enough to dissuade a Government functionary from indulging in corrupt practices. Self introspection is of much importance.
Addressing the Consultative Committee on General Administrative Department, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has been very candid in outlining the approach of his Government to deal with corruption at higher levels of administration. He has focused on two categories, namely the bureaucrats and politicians. It is sad that higher levels of bureaucracy, too, have been stained with corruption despite the fact that they enjoy such privileges as are not possible for ordinary mortals to dream about. Referring alleged corruption cases against bureaucrats and Government officials to the State Vigilance Commission and those of the politicians to the State Accountability Commission is a bold step to introduce for the first time, the process of accountability at the highest levels of governance in the State. The Government has received 193 cases of alleged corruption from SVC, and Crime Branch for prosecution and the process has already been set in motion. Three cases relating to IAS and IFS have been referred to the Government of India for necessary action.
This is the right step to be taken with the purpose of eradicating corruption from the administrative structure of the State. Of course over some time in the past the Chief Minister has been engaged in structuring the anti-corruption mechanism and in this connection significant steps have been taken. Primary requirement in this connection was of legal sanction. For that purpose one can recall the setting up of Vigilance Commission, Accountability Commission, Right to Information Act, Public Services Guarantee Act etc. The necessity of introducing these measures was to give no chance to the corrupt officials to wriggle out of the noose of law. There has been the loud noise that we lack adequate laws to combat corruption. To some extent this was true and alleged people managed to escape from the clutches of justice. But with these measures in place, chances of running away scot-free are curtailed to a large extent. The Chief Minister is contemplating of tightening the noose further. He has said that a high-ranking officer would be assigned the duty of keeping close watch in corruption prone areas. This is almost to say that an Ombudsman will be there to watch and report irregularities to concerned authorities. One more initiative on the anvil is Results Framework Document (RFD), which would help the common people to ascertain the performance and functioning of Government departments. This initiative is advanced streamlining of the Right to Information Act. The people have the right to ask and assess the progress made in various projects or schemes during a given period. This empowers the people to ascertain the performance of the Government.
The Chief Minister has tried to reach all sources that are liable to give rise to corruption in one form or the other. For example he has the idea of ordering videography of viva voice interviews because there have been complaints from aspirants to Government service or admission to professional institutions that they are not done justice. In final analysis these are very commendable steps, which the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers are taking to stamp out corruption from the administration. True that the entire deck cannot be cleared in one go, but the beginning has been made in right earnest and we hope that all concerned will cooperate in rebuilding clean and transparent administration.
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