CVC to issue citizen's guideline on fighting graft

By Mahesh Vijapurkar

MUMBAI, AUG. 6. Given the fact that ``the common man's sensitivity towards corruption is lacking,'' the Central Vigilance Commission on Independence Day will issue a ``citizen's guideline'' to fight corruption. According to the Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC), Mr. N. Vittal, the guideline will provide information on ways to deal with the issue - public interest litigation, use of media and direct action.

Mr. Vittal, who was here to deliver the Lalit Doshi Memorial Lecture, touched upon the ``partial satisfaction'' at the gains made by his efforts, especially in the wake of ``dilution of the authority'' sought to be ensured by modifying the CVC Bill of 1999. The Sharad Pawar-led Parliamentary Committee has demanded that the Joint Secretaries and above be protected from prosecution without sanction.

Regardless of this ``limitation'' Mr. Vittal said that he is ``optimistic'' about fighting corruption because ``if out of the 100 crore people, only 5 crore are corrupt and 95 crore want things to change, then it will.'' But the common man is apparently reconciled to seeing the corrupt being re-elected every time, but institutions such as the CVC should stoke the enthusiasm to fight graft.

Mr. Vittal said in the Doshi Lecture that his strategy was : implementation of benami transaction legislation; a law to forfeit property of corrupt public servants; a zero-tax exemption principle in income tax with a flat 20 per cent tax after a Rs. 2 lakh ceiling; cutting out discretion in customs and excise departments; amnesty for three months for black money and regularising it by 21 per cent IT and ;amend the Money Laundering Bill to cover IT, Customs, Excise and Sales tax.

Mr. Vittal spoke of corruption being ``anti-national, anti- development and anti-poor'' but said there did not ``appear to be a proper and adequate realisation of the dangers of corruption.'' Either the hope of making the country corruption- free has been abandoned or ``we have come to terms'' with it ``as a fact of life.'' Therefore, ``have we become immune to it?''

Since ``power is never demonstrated unless it is misused,'' Mr. Vittal related its growth to the fact that the newcomers may ``rationalise that they must also emulate those who earlier enjoyed and misused power and amassed wealth by rampant corruption.'' This bred the vicious cycle of corruption where the ``society tolerates'' it and did ``not question how that wealth is accumulated.''

If democracy has to survive the middleclass value of probity in public life will have to be sustained for which ``practical methods'' have to be found. But possibly, because India is seen as a ``feudal democracy,'' a ``tolerant view of misbehaviour of leaders'' is visible because a ``king can do no wrong.'' And the corruption debate is seen as political one- upmanship.

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