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PM urges business not to illegally fund elections

Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral on Sunday evening asked the business community not to indulge in corruption practices with politicians during the forthcoming parliamentary election campaign.

Addressing the 90th year celebration function of the Indian Merchants' Chamber in Bombay, Gujral insisted that the trade bodies like IMC and individual businessman should not use their black money in funding various parties and whatever they wish to donate, they should pay by cheque only.

"Let Bombay, the commercial capital of India, show the way of containing corruptions through black money during the election," he said.

The prime minister was reacting to the suggestions made by the IMC President Ram Gandhi on 'Combating Corruption' in his welcome address.

Expressing concern over the growing criminalisation of politics which ultimately led to corruption, Gujral said, without naming the Bharatiya Janata Party in Uttar Pradesh, "How can politicians with criminal background, became ministers? How could a person remain in power even after being charge-sheeted without prosecution. All these cannot be stopped by laws but only by the public consciousness and campaign."

In this context, he called upon all the political parties to take a vow of not giving tickets to criminals and corrupt persons in the forthcoming parliamentary election.

Besides corruption and criminalisation, the prime minister also pointed out several social evils such as social injustice, illiteracy and human right violations that were still blocking the growth and development of the nation even after 50 years of Independence.

Gujral, who had earlier in the day visited Pune and Baramati, said that India's future lies in the progress of its science and technology. "We are proud of our scientists who turned every denial into an opportunity in the development of our satellite technology," he observed.

Reiterating his commitment to provide a clean government at the Centre, he said that his government had set up several committees involving senior officials of repute to find out ways and means in simplifying various rules and regulations and if required to scrap some of these rules, in order to curb corruption in the system.

In fact, a committee was set up without much publicity to keep watch on huge government purchases and ensure proper transparency in dealing of such business, he said.

Citing another example of his action, Gujral said that in Delhi, architects were allowed to give a approval certificate for any building plan in place of local authorities to reduce corruption. Heavy penalties would be imposed on the architect if it was found that he had indulged in bad practices, the prime minister added.

In this context, the prime minister emphasised that there should be greater trust on the citizens rather than on vigilance officials of the government. "Do not make rules difficult to live a lawful life," he added.

Also speaking on the occasion, Maharashtra Governor Dr P C Alexander strongly objected the Indian Merchants' Chamber proposal and recommendation to institute national honesty awards to be given to bureaucrats for honest service to the nation.

"What is expected form a bureaucrat is efficiency and honesty," he said, "It is below the dignity of a sincere and committed bureaucrat of over three decades of service to accept such awards."

Rewarding bureaucrats for honesty is not a wise decision, said the governor, who himself is a former bureaucrat with over 38 years of service.

Earlier, IMC President Ram Gandhi had urged the prime minister to institute national honesty awards, with a similar status of Padma Shree to bureaucrats for honest service.

Suggesting methods to eradicate corruption, Governor Alexander said that a campaign should be launched at the school had the family levels to combat this evil.

Deploring the the term "petty corruption," Alexander declared that "corruption cannot be petty. Corrupt is corrupt and a bribe is a bribe." He added, "A corrupt person who is accepting small bribes will go for bigger ones if get a chance.

"We, as citizens, should also pledge what we will not grease the palms of authorities for things that we do not deserve. But the tendency of people to give bribe for getting or doing things done has worsened the problem," said the governor, and added that efforts should be made to root out it out.

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IMC to set up anti-corruption body

UNI