Karnataka - Bangalore   

Joining hands against graft

Special Correspondent

Society for Standards in Public Life set up

Bangalore: A group of eminent citizens of Bangalore have come together to fight corruption in public life and misuse of money power in elections. Society for Standards in Public Life, set up a few days ago, has former Chief Justice of India M.N. Venkatachalaiah as its chairman, and academician and activist Mumtaz Ali Khan as executive secretary.

The organisation said it would use all available means, including provisions of the Right to Information Act and public interest litigations, to fight corruption.

Only those with a proven record of integrity would be admitted as the society's members. Funding will be through donations from clean sources, it said.

Former Union Minister M.S. Gurupadaswamy, one of the society's founders said that citizens committed to cleansing public life were free to join our organisation. Justice Venkatchalaiah, who has outlined a plan of action for the year, said: "There are no comprehensive laws in our country requiring political parties to observe internal democracy or to disclose the source of funds for fighting election. Disclosure of sources of funding to political parties should be made mandatory under our electoral laws, as it is some other countries,'' he pointed out

This would prevent politicians and their organisations from accumulating black money, he said. "Unaccounted for money is estimated to form 47 per cent of the economy and most of this is believed to be with politicians,'' he alleged.

Code

Trilochan Sastry , member of faculty of IIM, Bangalore, said that society members themselves should impose a strict code of conduct to ensure ethical behaviour and transparency in dealings. Former Minister B. Somasekhar endorsed the suggestion.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Exploring a phenomenon called Rajkumar
More water going down the drain
Garbage piles up in many areas
City comes to a standtill
Policemen pay for `acting with restraint'
City shuts down for thespian's funeral
The mourners turned unruly
A victim of mindless violence
Man behind website clarifies on his venture
Joining hands against graft
`Rajkumar was a soldier for Kannada'
Parvathamma Rajkumar anguished
His eyes continue to see
Summer is when children run away from home
Campaign against alcoholism
Keeping tradition alive
Around The City
In Bangalore Today

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu