The Hindu : 'Tackle corruption from the top'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 18, 2003

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'Tackle corruption from the top'

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE JAN. 17. Justice V.S. Malimath, Chairman of the Committee on Reforms in the Criminal Justice System and former Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, today said the eradication of corruption should begin from the top. The present exercises were aimed only at those in the lower rungs of the administration.

At the plenary session during the All-India Lokayuktas/Lokpals/and Upa Lokayuktas Conference here, he said if one started at the top, the message would percolate to the bottom and things would change. He said hardly any attempt was being made to tackle corruption at the higher level.

He regretted that the present situation was just ``like the fence eating the crop'' as the democratic set-up was being utilised for the personal gain of those in power. The abuse of administrative discretion was the root cause of corruption.

He said gains from corrupt practices should not be allowed to be utilised by public servants found guilty. The absence of state power to confiscate such gains had encouraged public servants to amass huge wealth, so that they could live well even if they were convicted and lost their position.

Mr. Justice Malimath called for conferring more powers on the Lokayuktas. He asked the Lokayuktas to make use of the provision enabling them to avail themselves of external assistance to conduct investigations, even by utilising private agencies. Without a well-trained investigative machinery, the Lokayuktas could not effectively discharge their duties, he said.

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