-: [rti4empowerment] Fw: [humanrightsactivist] Plug Those Leaks: Bihar scraps special MLA funds

Thursday, December 16, 2010

[rti4empowerment] Fw: [humanrightsactivist] Plug Those Leaks: Bihar scraps special MLA funds

MP funds and MLA funds were created to appease these corrupt legislatures. Do they have capacity to do development work in their constituencies? Now Nitish Kumar has boldly taken the first step. Let's stop this nonesense. I am so glad at this first step in Bihar.

R. Singh

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: "S,K,Rajendran" <1daffi@gmail.com>
To: rti4ngo <rti4ngo-owner@yahoogroups.com>; HumanRights <humanrightsactivist@yahoogroups.com>; abc <antibriberycampaign@yahoogroups.com>; Transperancy India <tiindia.newdelhi@gmail.com>
Sent: Thu, December 16, 2010 4:38:16 AM
Subject: [humanrightsactivist] Plug Those Leaks: Bihar scraps special MLA funds

Plug Those Leaks

Bihar scraps special MLA funds

In this season of scams Nitish Kumar's government has undertaken a
concrete step against corruption, instead of the preferred practice of
merely engaging in political rhetoric around it. Bihar has done well in
doing away with the MLA Local Area Development Fund. Parliament, as well as
other states where similar funds are on offer, must follow suit. Patna made
the choice after all political parties agreed that the fund was a
fountainhead of corruption. The trouble with MLA funds or MPLADS, the
equivalent scheme for MPs, is the discretionary nature of the allocation.
Despite guidelines on how and where to deploy funds allotted under the
scheme, the money tends to be siphoned off or used to dispense patronage.
The allocation to the fund will hereafter be channelled via the state
planning and development department and district level committees will be
constituted under a cabinet minister to monitor utilisation of public funds.
This, hopefully, would curtail misuse of public funds.

Some argue that these schemes enable legislators avoid bureaucratic red
tape and help their constituents. This is faulty logic. If bureaucracy is at
fault reform it, don't bypass it. The benevolent leader as the solution for
all institutional ills reeks of a feudal mindset. We need to strengthen
institutions, not endow legislators with discretionary powers. What the
Bihar government has done is to revert to the principle that institutions
like the legislature, executive and judiciary have designated roles in
government. The job of the legislator is to legislate public policy and
monitor its implementation. The task of implementing public policy lies with
the executive. Any overlap of institutional roles will weaken the system and
lead to leakages.

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TOI Editorial:
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIBG/2010/12/16&PageLabel=12&EntityId=Ar01205&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T