The Jan Lokpal bill calls for no participation of government in the selection committees of Lokayuktas. Does this undermine the very essence of democracy and the role of our public representatives?While civil society and ordinary citizens are rallying behind Satyagrahi Anna Hazare by batting for the Jan Lok Pal bill, the protest at Jantar Mantar is raising a few worrying questionsDoes the Jan Lokpal bill as proposed by Anna Hazare bypass...
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CAG pulls up govt over quality of PDS ration by Dinesh Manhotra
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has pulled up the state government for its failure to ensure the supply of quality ration to the people. In its annual report, the CAG said there was no testing laboratory or trained manpower for conducting quality inspection of the foodgrains supplied through the Public Distribution System (PDS) in the state. “The PDS (Control) Order, 2001, envisages that the representatives of the Consumer Affairs...
More »'It's Sharad Pawar's old habit to indulge in corruption'
It's Sharad Pawar's old habit of indulging in corruption. Yes, I am levelling charges. Take me to court, I will prove the allegations," said activist Anna Hazare in New Delhi, as he began his fast unto death strike against corruption on Monday. Hazare's is campaigning for a compressive Lok Pal Bill to give wider powers to the ombudsman to check corruption attracted a huge crowd of over 3,000 people at Jantar...
More »The fatal flaws in the government's Lokpal Bill by Iftikhar Gilani
Anna Hazare’s fast puts into focus the government’s attempts to protect politicians India Against Corruption, a group formed by Anna Hazare and other social activists and former judges, has given 17 reasons why the Jan Lokpal Bill drafted by former Supreme Court judge Santosh Hegde, now the Karnataka Lokayukta, is far better than the Bill prepared by the union government. The Jan Lokpal Bill, hailed as a civil society initiative, provides for...
More »Maharashtra way behind in budget transparency by Meena Menon
A study ranks States on availability of budget documents, completeness of information These States should adopt practices to improve public access to budget information They should also produce a key to budget documents and a statement on funds Maharashtra ranks seventh among 10 States in a study of transparency in State budgets released in February. The State plan does not provide much information on the Scheduled Caste sub-plan and does not share details of...
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