N. Santosh Hegde

BANGALORE: With 18,000 complaints against public servants needing the attention of the Lokayukta, there was constant need for the institution to reinvent itself and look for ways to get the executive arm of our democracy to deliver governance effectively, Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde said here on Monday.

Speaking on `Lokayukta and the Unwilling Executive' at the Jayanagar Study Circle, Mr. Hegde said now that the citizens were armed with the Right to Information Act, there was nothing to stop them from standing up to dishonesty, injustice and corruption.

Support

By doing so, they would be strengthening the hands of the Lokayukta and other watchdog institutions that could ultimately lead to a change in the mindset of the public servants.

However, the institution of Lokayukta had been proactive, and he had chosen to lead by example.

The day he assumed charge, he placed details of his assents and liabilities for scrutiny. Mr. Hegde said the Lokayukta had decided to make full use of the RTI Act, and had been generously giving out details of the assets and liabilities of elected representatives to anyone who sought them.

Affidavits

The Lokayukta had not taken kindly to the fact that eight MLAs in Karnataka were yet to file their affidavits before it, and while under the Lokayukta Act there was little scope to take action, there was a way out: the Governor could write to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly recommending that the House pass a resolution to initiate action against the MLAs.

The inspiration for this was the recently resolution passed by Parliament to suspend MPs who had taken money to ask question in Parliament.

Powers

Mr. Hegde, who has sought prosecution powers for the Lokayukta and also a dedicated team of prosecutors at its disposal, said there were sections in the Indian Penal Code that could be adroitly used to bring corrupt lawmakers to book.

Many of the 18,000 complaints before the Lokayukta were about the "big problems" of ordinary people: a person who became permanently disabled in an accident having to wait two years to get his entitlement of a wheelchair and crutches, a retired teacher who had to struggle for four years before getting his pension.

Mr. Hegde said it saddened him to see how the system had changed from the initial years after Independence. The days when the executive was incorruptible and powerful were gone, and one no longer heard about the district Collector who refused to entertain an MLA or take decision in the interest of the public.

"Politicians and officials have developed a cozy relationship in which there is no place for the citizen. The executive no longer feels it is wrong to put private interest above public interest. In fact, to many of them the salary they get is mere perks while the bribe money is the real salary," he said.

Citizens' duty

The citizens too had forgotten something that was their basic duty.

Mr. Hegde said raising their children right, with the right attitude, inculcating the moral and ethical values right from childhood, did go a long way in how the child grew up to be a citizen, he said.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu