Today was the big day of Indian Union budget presentation for the year 2011-12. Because of recent commotion in the country about corruption and black money created by the efforts of media and political circles some action on the part of government was expected in this budget. Though the finance minister did mention about corruption and black money menace, no concrete steps or proposals to fight it were talked of. Though the fight to get back black money stacked in foreign banks is riddled with many international laws and complications, it is heartening to note that the government has taken up this aspect with several countries. Similarly government has reiterated on many occasions that all those found guilty of corruption will not be spared.So far so good. But why is action being confined only to cases which have come to light through the efforts of opposition and media. Everybody in the country is aware of the massive scale of corruption and bribery and is it not the duty of those in power to put an end to the menace.
Let us as a nation on the march resolve to cut the very roots of this evil. The job may appear to be colossus in the first instance but we can in reality fight it by declaring a war on it with the cooperation of one and all in the parliament and bureaucracy. The efforts through better tax compliance and rationalisation are a good step forward in good governance. But why the direct action approach to nab such offenders is not being given top most priority. After all this also is an integral part of good governance. Direct tax code and Goods and services tax measures are riddled with lot of difficulties and require consensus amongst all parties and state governments because of their ideologies and state's financial concerns. Understandably every political party is entitled to have its own policies and ideological differences are bound to be there.But what about CORRUPTION AND BLACK MONEY. For all right minded citizens of this country, this should be the first platform of good governance. There can be no difference of opinion on ways and means to fight it because it can neither clash with the political or economic ideology of any party nor with the interests of any state government. Let all the elected members of this country sit together to formulate procedures to combat corruption, bribery and black money and enact relevant legislation to have a system to keep a check on economic offenders. Such a system should cater for major extra reinforcements to the enforcement staff. A three tier system may be worthwhile to think of with one tier keeping a watch on the other. Similarly large additions to the relevant judiciary be also made so that no such case lingers for more than nine months.
