The Union government is not running away from corruption and plans to fight the problem through legislative measures, including Bills to protect whistleblowers and to ensure transparency in public procurement and judicial accountability, Union Minister for Law Salman Khursheed said on Saturday.
He was speaking at the inauguration of a leadership meet organised by the Minority Cell of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee here.
Mr. Khursheed said the United Progressive Alliance government differed with Team Anna because it did not believe in the supremacy of Parliament as the law-making institution.
Media's role
A strong Lokpal Bill would be introduced in the next session of Parliament. Corruption involved not just money; use of violence and lack of tolerance too constituted corruption, he said. The media had highlighted the threat of corruption in a big way. “This is good for society.”
“The Bill on public procurement will bring in transparency in all public purchases… The Bill to protect whistleblowers will protect those who draw the attention of authorities to corrupt practices. The Judicial Accountability Bill will not, however, affect the independence of the judiciary,” he said.
Mr. Khursheed highlighted the welfare measures being undertaken by the UPA government for the minorities. Reservation in Central government jobs on the lines of the ‘Kerala model;' scholarships for all students applying for them in the 12th Plan; special neighbourhood groups for the minorities; and training of women from the minority communities in leadership were the other measures being planned.
Mr. Khursheed said the time had come for the Centre to reward the States that had done well, pointing to the case of Kerala, which was neglected in the past in fund allocation. Now, the Centre intended to reward these States, he said, praising Kerala's achievements in human development and education.
On the CPI(M)'s decision to take out a march to the Kerala High Court against Tuesday's verdict against its leader M.V. Jayarajan, who was sentenced to six-month simple imprisonment in a contempt of court case, Mr. Khursheed said nobody could stop a march. It was up to the government and the local authorities to decide on the situation. As long as the march did not affect public peace, it was right to express dissent.
