The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Corruption cannot be removed: Hegde

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 27, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Corruption cannot be removed: Hegde

Staff Reporter

Keep your desires within the limits of your income, Lokayukta tells youth

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

WELL MEANING: Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde (left) at an interactive session in Bangalore on Friday.

BANGALORE: The questions revolved around corruption in government offices and the ways in which the Lokayukta institution was tackling it. Answering the queries, Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde said: “It is not possible to eliminate corruption. I can only assure of controlling corruption by 2010, when my term comes to an end.”

Mr. Hegde was participating in an interaction programme with State-level youth award winners organised by the Department of Youth Services and Sports on Friday. The programme was held as part of a two-day conference of youth award winners.

Mr. Hegde started with the changes that were being brought in the functioning of the institution of Lokayukta. He said the Government has allowed the Lokayukta to take the services of police officers, judges and prosecutors of its choice.

“We have taken services on contract basis of 24 lawyers who will act as prosecutors before various courts in cases pertaining to corruption. We are regularly monitoring their work. The services will be withdrawn if their performance is not satisfactory,” Mr. Hegde said.

With the new officers, Mr. Hegde hopes of a change in the institution’s working. “You are free to question me if there are no changes,” he said.

About the issue of corruption in the Lokayukta, he said: “When I talk of corruption, I cannot leave out those in the institution. They are appointed by the Government.”

Mr. Hegde said that a close vigil was being kept on those working in the organisation. “In case of those appointed to the institution, we cannot do much other than transferring the person concerned. If he is on deputation he will be sent back to the parent organisation,” Mr. Hegde said. Refusing to answer the question about a Lokayukta official who allegedly made money during his tenure in the institution, Mr. Hegde said, “I cannot say anything as the official is not working in the Lokayukta. There were no complaints when he was with us.”

On the awareness drive, Mr. Hegde said the institution has prepared about 5 lakh posters asking people not to pay or receive bride. The poster will also give the procedure of filing complaints. “These will be pasted in the government organisations, including hospitals, police stations, tahsildar offices, road transport offices, where corruption is high. I hope that they will create fear among those accepting bribe,” he said.

About the role the youth award winners can play in fighting corruption, Mr. Hegde said youngsters should adopt an attitude of keeping their desires within their legal source of income. “I have done this,” Mr. Hegde pointed out. He asked the award winners to set “containing corruption” as their goal and spend some time in creating awareness among people.

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