India Marches Against Corruption !
Thousands of people will take to streets to demand effective anti-corruption law !
J M Lyngdoh, Swami Agnivesh, Kiran Bedi, Anna Hazare, Prashant
Bhushan, Most Reverend Vincent M Concessao Archbishop of Delhi and
others will march from Ramlila Grounds to Jantar Mantar on 30th
January, the day Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated, at 1 pm to demand
enactment of a law to set up an effective anti-corruption body called
Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayukta in each state (the existing
Lokayukta Acts are weak and ineffective).
Kiran Bedi, Justice Santosh Hegde, Prashant Bhushan, J M Lyngdoh and
others have drafted this Bill. Please visit our site for full text of
this Bill. A nation wide movement called "India Against Corruption"
has been started by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Swami Ramdev, Swami
Agnivesh, Most Reverend Vincent M Concessao Archbishop of Delhi, Kiran
Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal, Anna Hazare, Devinder Sharma, Sunita Godara,
Mallika Sarabhai and many others to persuade government to enact this
Bill.
Mrs Sonia Gandhi recently announced that Lokpal would be set up.
However, the Lokpal suggested by the government is only a showpiece.
It will have jurisdiction over politicians but not bureaucrats, as if
politicians and bureaucrats indulge in corruption separately. And the
most interesting part is that like other anti-corruption bodies in our
country, the government is making Lokpal also an advisory body. So,
Lokpal will recommend to the government to prosecute its ministers.
Will any prime minister have the political courage to do that?
Please participate in large numbers in this march to persuade the
government to enact the Bill drafted by the people. Please read below
how this Bill will help in effectively checking corruption.
Can India turn around?
There was much worse corruption in Hong Kong in 1970s than we have in
India today. Collusion between police and mafia increased and crime
rate went up. Lakhs of people came on the streets. As a result, the
government had to set up an Independent Commission Against Corruption
(ICAC), which was given complete powers. In the first instance, ICAC
sacked 119 out of 180 police officers. This sent a strong message to
the bureaucracy that corruption would not be tolerated. Today, Hong
Kong has one of the most honest governance machinery.
India can also turn around if we also had similar anti-corruption
body. Hong Kong government enacted ICAC Bill because lakhs of people
came on streets.
Join the march on 30th January (Assembly at 1 pm at Ramlila Ground)
If you plan to join or volunteer with us, do call us 9717460029
How will the Lokpal Bill drafted by citizens help curb corruption?
Existing System: No politician or senior officer ever goes to jail
despite huge evidence because Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) and CBI
directly come under the government. Before starting investigation or
initiating prosecution in any case, they have to take permission from
the same bosses, against whom the case has to be investigated.
Proposed System: Lokpal at centre and Lokayukta at state level will be
independent bodies. ACB and CBI will be merged into these bodies. They
will have power to initiate investigations and prosecution against any
officer or politician without needing anyone's permission.
Investigation should be completed within 1 year and trial to get over
in next 1 year. Within two years, the corrupt should go to jail.
Existing System: No corrupt officer is dismissed from the job because
Central Vigilance Commission, which is supposed to dismiss corrupt
officers, is only an advisory body. Whenever it advises government to
dismiss any senior corrupt officer, its advice is never implemented.
Proposed System: Lokpal and Lokayukta will have complete powers to
order dismissal of a corrupt officer. CVC and all departmental
vigilance will be merged into Lokpal and state vigilance will be
merged into Lokayukta.
Existing System: No action is taken against corrupt judges because
permission is required from the Chief Justice of India to even
register an FIR against corrupt judges.
Proposed System: Lokpal & Lokayukta shall have powers to investigate
and prosecute any judge without needing anyone's permission.
Existing System: Nowhere to go - People expose corruption but no
action is taken on their complaints.
Proposed System: Lokpal & Lokayukta will have to enquire into and hear
every complaint.
Existing System: There is so much corruption within CBI and vigilance
departments. Their functioning is so secret that it encourages
corruption within these agencies.
Proposed System: All investigations in Lokpal & Lokayukta shall be
transparent. After completion of investigation, all case records shall
be open to public. Complaint against any staff of Lokpal & Lokayukta
shall be enquired and punishment announced within two months.
Existing System: Weak and corrupt people are appointed as heads of
anti-corruption agencies.
Proposed System: Politicians will have absolutely no say in selections
of Chairperson and members of Lokpal & Lokayukta. Selections will take
place through a transparent and public participatory process.
Existing System: Citizens face harassment in government offices.
Sometimes they are forced to pay bribes. One can only complain to
senior officers. No action is taken on complaints because senior
officers also get their cut.
Proposed System: Lokpal & Lokayukta will get public grievances
resolved in time bound manner, impose a penalty of Rs 250 per day of
delay to be deducted from the salary of guilty officer and award that
amount as compensation to the aggrieved citizen.
Existing System: Nothing in law to recover ill gotten wealth. A
corrupt person can come out of jail and enjoy that money.
Proposed System: Loss caused to the government due to corruption will
be recovered from all accused.
Existing System: Small punishment for corruption- Punishment for
corruption is minimum 6 months and maximum 7 years.
Proposed System: Enhanced punishment - The punishment would be minimum
5 years and maximum of life imprisonment.
Contact Us: India Against Corruption
A-119, Kaushambi, Ghaziabad – 201010, UP. Ph: 09717460029
Email:
indiaagainstcorruption.2010@gmail.com
http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org
Please forward this to your friends and ask them to forward to their friends. This is the best gift you can give to this country.
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