The Hindu : Sorabjee advocates right to information

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 29, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Sorabjee advocates right to information

By Our Special Correspondent

VISAKHAPATNAM, MARCH 28. It is the duty of the Government to implement Directive Principles and there can be no good governance if the State persistently defers its implementation, according to Attorney-General for India, Soli J. Sorabjee.

Delivering a talk on `Good governance,' organised by the Centre for Policy Studies and Andhra University College of Law at Kalabharathi here on Sunday, he pointed out that Article 37 of the Constitution mentioned that Directive Principles are not enforceable by any code but none-the-less fundamental in the governance of the country as they broadly incorporated the socio-economic fabric through measures such as equal pay for equal work, provision of opportunities and facilities for children, education, etc. In the absence of good governance, there was miserable non-implementation of laws such as beneficial legislation for children's health, piling up of filth and garbage due to lack of sanitation, and miserable state of public health, he said. "Non-implementation of laws is due to lack of political will. To my mind, respect for law is the essence of role of law that anyone is subject to the equal discipline of law. However high you may be, law is above you. If a neta can stop a train, there is subversion of law. If there is communal hatred and communal carnage, law is broken. There is mockery of role of law when a government faces charges of corruption. Failure to enforce law and order is non-governance,'' he said.

Referring to the vandalism incident at the prestigious Bhandarkar Institute in Pune which had invaluable treasures, Mr. Sorabjee said that the worst part was no action was taken against the law-breakers. Vandalism was not a good portend for democracy, not for good governance, he opined.

The eminent jurist also felt that there was no good governance without accountability which could be enforced by insistence of transparency in public affairs. "For that, people need information and the right to know should be ensured. Public has a right to know about every public transaction done in public. For example purchase of land by an industry and mass transfer of employees on change of Government. These are matters that affect the Government and the public should know the reason. We must break the secrecy syndrome. Secrecy is corrupt administration. Secrecy in certain matters relating to national security and commercial intelligence is understandable. Not in the case of common public affairs,'' he pointed out.

He said that this was equally applicable to the private sector, industrial establishments, and business houses.

Mr. Sorabjee stated that the main cause for the present state of affairs is crisis of moral leadership. Quite a sizeable number of Parliament and Assembly members had criminal record, he observed.

Stating that corruption would destroy the moral fabric of the country, he described corrupt officials as violators of human rights.

The Director of the Centre for Policy Studies, A. Prasanna Kumar, introduced Mr. Sorabjee and the Mayor, Rajana Ramani, and former Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University, felicitated him. Principal of the Law College, R. Venkata Rao, proposed a vote of thanks.

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