Dear Mazid: > A govt is always elected by us, to rule > us in a manner we can bribe them when needed. > Altaf
**** That is what is fallacious! It is the CHOICES you are given . The choices are made by a defective system that does not allow able people, people with integrity to get into. As I say, if you are stuck with choices between dumb and dumber, or a crook and a felon, what do you up getting? I don't know you, but I can imagine you are an able person, a person of integrity and you want to serve in government. Should you wish to run for office, will you get a ticket ? And to get a ticket, or even run as an independent, where will you get the funds, who will support your candidacy with the resources required? Who provides the parties with the funds? **** Why do you need able people to run for office? For a simple reason: In the Indian system law-makers actually become executives. A popular MLA becomes a minister who ACTUALLY administers a huge department even though it is supposed to b e done by professional managers--the Administrative Services. The separation of duties are on paper only. A minister or an MLA can and do influence the executive branches work thru improper use of political power.If a "BA -fail" minister runs the PWD , what do you end up getting? It is a DEFECTIVE system. It must be changed. There are dozens of other, substantial reasons why desi-demokrasy is a farce. Oh yes, it looks good on paper. But the reality is a wholly different thing. cm n Apr 18, 2011, at 12:17 AM, Altaf Mazid wrote: > A government is only as good as the people who make it up >> we are > getting a govt just like us. A govt is always elected by us, to rule > us in a manner we can bribe them when needed. > Altaf > > On 18 April 2011 10:37, Dilip Deka <[email protected]> wrote: >> This time you are very correct - cent per cent as my high school math >> teacher used to say. >> But how do you get the people of integrity to rub shoulders with those that >> have no integrity? Draft them? Slowly tempt them in? >> Educate them at a young age to join public service and maintain integrity? >> >> From: Chan Mahanta <[email protected]> >> To: Ganesh Bora <[email protected]> >> Cc: A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the world >> <[email protected]> >> Sent: Sunday, April 17, 2011 6:07 PM >> Subject: Re: [Assam] Will the Jan Lokpal Bill Work? >> >> Good to hear from you Ganesh. But I don't share your optimism, because >> without functioning institutions in place, a watchdog >> or watchdogs will eventually become lapdogs. Just look at CBI. >> >> A government is only as good as the people who make it up. Until such time >> as able and people with integrity could not >> become a significant part of governance, it is doomed to be what Indian >> governance is. >> >> c-da >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On Apr 17, 2011, at 5:55 PM, Ganesh Bora wrote: >> >>> C' da, >>> >>> The Jan Lokpal may or may not work! But it scared the corrupt MMS >>> government. If Jan Lokpal does not work, some other Watch dog will be born! >>> But atleast for some time, government will think (or feel) that some one is >>> watching them! This is the beginning of the end of "Governing without >>> Accountability"! >>> >>> Ganesh Bora >>> Fargo, ND >>> >>> >>> >>> From: Chan Mahanta <[email protected]> >>> To: A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the world >>> <[email protected]> >>> Sent: Sun, April 17, 2011 8:49:34 AM >>> Subject: [Assam] Will the Jan Lokpal Bill Work? >>> >>> >>> Prashant Bhushan is a credible person on these issues. But will the 'Jan >>> Lokpal ' thing work? What do you think? >>> >>> I don't think it will. It may have some value temporarily. Something a >>> newly independent state may employ to get >>> its bearing, like I proposed for an independent Assam. But until such time >>> India reforms and fixes its broken, >>> dysfunctional system, it will be about as effective as all the other, much >>> hyped schemes, programs, laws >>> acronyms and whatchmacallits -- like for example Panchayats, Fast Track >>> Courts, RTI, CVC and many others. >>> >>> Why ? >>> >>> For the simple reason that the dysfunctional system will continue to keep >>> producing the corrupt and the inept. >>> How will the JL, which is designed only to look after the CENTER - won't >>> have anything to do with the states, >>> keep the floodgates closed and for how long? That raises another assamnet >>> specific question to this 'odhom': >>> I was under the impression that it is Assam, and a few other states are the >>> truly corrupt entities, not the Center, >>> not the 'prospering' states and so forth. Where is the disconnect? >>> >>> The notion is akin to treating Typhoid with fever control medication. >>> >>> What is amazing is that no one NO ONE, is talking about fixing the broken >>> system. Why? Any thoughts? >>> >>> Also look up http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?271406. Some very >>> fgood points raised in this. >>> >>> cm >>> >>> >>> http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?271389 >>> >>> OPINION >>> Removing Misconceptions >>> Addressing some of the issues and concerns raised by a number of >>> commentators on the provisions in the draft of Jan Lokpal Bill >>> PRASHANT BHUSHAN >>> A number of commentators have raised issues about the provisions in the >>> draft of Jan Lokpal Bill, whether it will be effective instrument for >>> checking corruption and about the manner in which pressure was brought to >>> bear on the government through Shri Anna Hazare’s fast. It is therefore, >>> important to understand the provisions of the bill and how it seeks to set >>> up an effective institution to deal with corruption. >>> >>> Corruption in India has grown to alarming proportions; because of policies >>> which have created enormous incentives for its proliferation, coupled with >>> the lack of an effective institution which can investigate and prosecute >>> the corrupt. Under the garb of liberalization and privatisation, we have >>> adopted policies by which natural resources and public assets (such as >>> mineral resources, oil & gas, land, spectrum, etc) have been allowed to be >>> privatised without any transparency or public auction. Hundreds of MoUs >>> have been signed overnight, by governments with private corporations, >>> leasing out large tracts of land rich in mineral resources, forests and >>> water, which allow those corporations to take away and sell these resources >>> by paying the government a royalty which is usually less than 1% of the >>> value of resources. The Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde, has >>> pointed out in a report on mining in Karnataka, that the profit margins in >>> such ventures, >> is often more than 90%; thus leaving a huge scope for bribe giving and >> creating huge incentives for corruption. The same thing happened when Mr A. >> Raja gave away spectrum without a public auction to companies at less than >> 10% of its market price. Private monopolies in water/electricity >> distribution, airports, etc; have been allowed to be created where huge and >> unconscionable profits can be made by corrupting the regulator and allowing >> the private monopoly to charge predatory prices. Tens of thousands of >> hectares of land have been given away to corporations for commercialisation >> in the guise of airport development, construction of highways, SEZs etc. at >> prices which are less than 10% of the value of the those tracts of land. >>> >>> Apart from creating huge incentives for corruption, such policies have >>> resulted in involuntary displacement of lakhs of the poorest people, >>> rendering them on brink of starvation and forcing many of them to join the >>> Maoists. They have also stripped the country of its natural resources (a >>> good deal of which are exported), destroyed the environment and most >>> ominously, resulted in creating monster corporations, who are so powerful >>> and influential that they have come to influence and virtually control all >>> institutions of power as we see from the Radia tapes. In fact it is the >>> corporations which have become the fountainhead of corruption, with >>> ministers and public servants having become their agents. >>> >>> While adopting policies which create huge incentives for corruption, we >>> have not set up an effective institution to check corruption, investigate >>> and prosecute the corrupt and bring them to justice. The CBI continues to >>> be under the administrative control of the government, which is seen as >>> fountainhead of corruption. Thus no action is usually taken by the CBI to >>> effectively investigate high level corruption unless once in a while, the >>> court forces its hand. Often, we see the CBI behave in a corrupt manner >>> with no other institution, to investigate its own corruption. The Central >>> Vigilance Commission (CVC) which is supposed to supervise the CBI has >>> failed to act, since its own appointment process is riddled with conflict >>> of interest. The Prime Minister, Home Minister and Leader of Opposition >>> (who has been a minister and hopes to become Prime Minister one day) want >>> to avoid their own accountability and are thus interested in weak and >>> pliable persons to >> man an institution which is expected to supervise the CBI. Moreover the CVC >> and CBI have to seek government sanctions for investigation and >> prosecutions, which is usually not given in high level corruption. The CVC >> depends on vigilance officers in various government departments who are >> often middle level officers from same department and cannot be expected to >> exercise vigilance over their bosses who write their confidential reports. >> The judiciary, which must try and convict the offenders, has also become >> dysfunctional and also corrupt due to lack of accountability of the higher >> judiciary. >>> >>> The draft Jan Lokpal bill seeks to create an institution which will be >>> largely independent of those that it seeks to police, and which will have >>> effective powers of investigation and prosecuting all public servants >>> (including ministers, MPs, the bureaucracy, judges etc.) and those others >>> found guilty of corrupting them. Since corruption also involves misconduct >>> and gives rise to grievances, the draft bill also proposes that the Lokpal >>> will supervise the machinery for disciplinary proceedings against >>> government servants (the Vigilance Department) as well as the machinery for >>> redressal of grievances. Thus misconduct by government servants and >>> grievances would also come under an independent authority rather than under >>> the government where it has become ineffective due to conflicts of >>> interest. In addition it has also been proposed that if the Lokpal finds >>> that a contract is being given for corrupt considerations, it can order the >>> stoppage of the contract. >> It cannot otherwise interfere with government decisions or policy. >>> >>> It has been said that this will create a supercop with enormous powers and >>> no accountability. There is a misconception that the Lokpal would have >>> judicial powers as well. There is no such thing in the bill. The need of >>> the hour is to have an effective policing body which can investigate and >>> prosecute the high and mighty without interdiction from the very people who >>> need to be prosecuted. Moreover, the bill seeks to make the Lokpal >>> accountable in many ways. Firstly, it is mandated to function transparently >>> so that everything related to its functioning is known to the people >>> (without compromising the investigation itself). Other exemptions from >>> disclosure provided in the RTI Act could also be included. Secondly, the >>> orders of the Lokpal would be subject to Judicial review in the High Courts >>> and the Supreme Court. Lastly, the members of the Lokpal would be removable >>> for misconduct by a 5 member bench of the Supreme Court. >>> >>> There has also been criticism of the Selection Committee and selection >>> process of the Lokpal. Given the erosion in the integrity of most of our >>> state institutions, it was thought that the best bet was to have a >>> broad-based selection committee and build in transparency and some public >>> participation in the selection process, while trying to keep out those >>> persons who are most likely to be within the ambit of the investigations of >>> the Lokpal. That is why ministers were kept out in the draft bill, though >>> one criticism has been that this shows a contempt for democracy. We have >>> seen how the “democratically elected” PM, HM and leaders of opposition have >>> normally selected weak and pliable CVCs. So the draft bill proposes a >>> selection committee of Lok Sabha Speaker, Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, CAG, >>> CEC, the two senior most judges of the Supreme Court, two senior most Chief >>> Justices of the High Court, the Chairman of the NHRC and the outgoing >>> members of the >> Lokpal. However, this selection committee would certainly be discussed and >> perhaps improved during further public consultations and discussions within >> the drafting committee, which will now take place. >>> >>> It has also been said that putting grievance redressal on the plate of the >>> Lokpal would make its work unmanageable. Though the Lokpal would only >>> reorganize and supervise the grievance redressal machinery (rather than >>> dealing with each grievance itself), this is also an issue, which would be >>> discussed openly by the Committee. By the next week a website for formally >>> taking in all the opinions and suggestions on the Jan Lokpal bill will be >>> set up and announced. We would welcome people to read, understand and send >>> their comments on it, which will be taken due note of. >>> >>> One must not however be under any illusion that the Lokpal law itself would >>> solve the problem of corruption. Unless we also tackle and change the >>> policies which are creating enormous incentives for corruption and creating >>> monster corporations, which become too powerful for any institution to >>> control, our fight against corruption will be incomplete. The judiciary too >>> is in need of comprehensive reforms. But, an independent, credible and >>> empowered Lokpal is certainly a necessary, though not a sufficient, >>> condition for effectively controlling corruption. Let us work to at least >>> put that in place. >>> >>> One of the original drafters of the Jan Lokpal Bill, Supreme Court lawyer >>> Prashant Bhushan is also one of the five nominees of Shri Anna Hazare on >>> the government notified Joint Drafting Committee to prepare a draft of the >>> Lok Pal Bill. >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> assam mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >> >> _______________________________________________ >> assam mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >> _______________________________________________ >> assam mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >> > > > > -- > 2 Udayachal Path > Christian Basti > Guwahati 781 005 > India > Tel +913612342236 > Cell +919435193663 > www.sauravkumarchaliha.org > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
