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Digvijay for social audit in civil administration

By Our Staff Reporter

Simon Willams, a photo journalist from the United Kingdom, receiving the Maja Koene Journalist award from Digvijay Singh, former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, at Majagram near Madurai on Thursday. Looking on is P.V. Rajagopal, vice-president, Gan dhi Peace Foundation. — Photo: S. James (Report on Page 4).

MADURAI, OCT. 14. The former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Digvijay Singh, has suggested a social audit for transparency in civil administration.

Delivering the Mahatma Gandhi memorial lecture to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Sarvodaya Ilakkiya Pannai here this evening, Mr. Singh said a social audit would ensure people's participation in administration and help weed out corruption in bureaucracy.

The need of the hour was to bring reforms to herald transparency and ensure this percolated to the grassroots.

He suggested laws directing the Government officials and judicial officials to declare their assets. Expressing concern over the "gross misuse of educational institutions in propagating communalism," Mr. Digvijay Singh said the nation encountered challenges from organisations that sowed seeds of communal hatred. These divisive forces were engaged in ripping the nation apart on communal lines.

To counter this, the youth should be imbued with the Gandhian philosophy of brotherhood and secularism. "Unless we do this, it will be difficult to fight the forces endangering the socio-democratic fabric of our country."

Recounting his experience as Chief Minister, Mr. Singh said the Centre should curb religious fundamentalism by initiating stern measures against mischief mongers.

The chairman of the Sarvodaya Ilakkiya Pannai, M. Mariappan, P.V. Rajagopal of Ekta Parishad, the chairman of the Tamil Nadu Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, K.M. Natarajan, and the secretary of the Sarvodaya Ilakkiya Pannai, N. Navaneethakrishnan, spoke.

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