NEW DELHI, Dec 27:
Setting the agenda for fighting corruption by fast tracking the implementation of the Lokpal Bill, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today said the Lokpal Bill needs to be implemented at State level as well.
Addressing a press conference after a meeting with senior Congress leaders and Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled States to draw a strategy to tackle corruption and price rise, with an eye on the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Mr Gandhi said the Lokpal Bill needs to be implemented at State level.
“I want to take the stipulations in the national level Lokpal to the State level Lokpal as well,” he said at the press conference, also attended by AICC General Secretary Ajay Maken and Chief Ministers of 11 Congress ruled States.
The Congress vice-president said the meeting was held over two main issues – corruption and price rise.
“The party has discussed corruption, Lokpal and price rise during the meeting with the chief ministers of the Congress-ruled States,” he said.
In this context, it was decided at the meeting that all the Congress-ruled States will enact new Lokayukta legislation as provided in The Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013 by February 28, 2014.
At the same time, he also urged the State Governments led by the Opposition also to enact a new Lokayukta legislation as provided in the The Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013.
“Its time to stop talking about it (Corruption) and start working on it. So there is a need for a framework to tackle corruption not just at the National level but also at the State level. The Congress is working in this direction,” Mr Gandhi said.
Reiterating the need to set up a framework to tackle corruption, Mr Gandhi called upon the Opposition to help secure the passage in Parliament of several Bills lined up in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha that would enable setting up of the required framework.
“As I said before, if they are serious about it (tackling corruption), they should help us to pass several bills that have been lined up in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha that would held setting up this framework. Please pass these Bills. Let us have a session of the House and get together and set up this framework,” he said.
Charging the Opposition of not being serious about tackling corruption, he said, “Unfortunately, there is just one party that talks about setting up a system and framework to tackle corruption.
“I see that there are many States governed by the Opposition that are without a Lokayukta. Also, the Opposition should help passage of the Bills that will help set up a system to check corruption. But they will not do it. They tend to make long speeches on corruption. But when there is a question for setting up a framework there is not one word from them.”
Among other decisions taken at the meeting, it was decided that all Congress-ruled States will, by January 15, 2014, delist fruits and vegetables from their Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act so that the farmers have a choice of where to sell their produce and consumers will get the benefit of lower prices, Mr Maken told reporters.
It was also decided that all Congress-ruled States will invoke the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 to sternly deal with hoarding, black marketing and profiteering.
“Chronic offenders may also be detained under the prevention of Blackmarketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980,” Mr Maken said.
All Congress-ruled States have been asked to immediately implement reforms of the public distribution system (PDS) that are stipulated in the Food Security Act, 2013, so as to eliminate leakages and to ensure that foodgrains reach the intended beneficiaries.
Mr Maken said that Congress-ruled States have been asked to immediately take steps to open fair price shops, either Government owned or run by self help groups, that will sell fruits and vegetables and eggs at fair and reasonable prices.
Besides Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled States, senior leaders like A K Antony, Sushil Kumar Shinde, P Chidambaram, Ahmed Patel, Jairam Ramesh, Digvijay Singh, Janardan Dwivedi, Kapil Sibal and K V Thomas attended the meeting, held at 15, Rakabganj Road, also known as Congress War Room.
It is notable that a meeting of the top leadership of the party held to discuss possible reasons for the party’s debacle in the recent Assembly polls felt that price rise was among the issues that could have led to a poor show by the party in the State Assembly polls.
Speaking to reporters after the results of the Assembly polls as well as in her address to the Congress Parliamentary party during the Winter session of Parliament, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said one of the possible reasons for Congress’ defeat in the polls was the inability to take the UPA’s policies to the people.
While the BJP retained power in Madhya Pradesh in the Assembly polls, it wrested power from the Congress in Rajasthan and managed to retain Chhattisgarh after an initial scare. In Delhi, the Congress came a poor third with just eight seats while the BJP emerged as the largest party in the 70-member State Assembly with 32 seats followed by the Aam Aadmi Party with 28 seats.
The discussion on the issue of corruption at today’s meeting comes close on the heels of Mr Gandhi’s raising the issue at the recent meeting of FICCI on December 21.
Addressing the meeting, Mr Gandhi said, “Corruption is the ‘biggest issue bleeding people dry. In his FICCI address, Rahul also expressed concern over price rise and said that tackling inflation was the top priority.
The CMs meeting with Mr Gandhi comes ahead of the January 17 AICC meeting, where the party is expected to discuss its future strategy for the Lok Sabha polls.
It is also expected there will be a formal announcement of Mr Gandhi as party’s Prime Ministerial candidate for the next Lok Sabha polls during the AICC meeting.
Besides the Chief Ministers and Central leaders, today’s meeting was attended by all AICC General Secretary incharges of the States like Ambika Soni (Uttarakhand), Shakeel Ahmed (Haryana), Luizinho Faleiro, who is the in-charge of North-Eastern States and others.
Rahul Gandhi, who has of late been talking about corruption, today disapproved the decision of the Congress Government in Maharashtra to reject a judicial commission’s report on Adarsh scam and said it should be reconsidered.
“Personally, I don’t agree with that decision. They (Maharashtra) should reconsider that,” the Congress Vice President said here at a press conference where Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan was present.
He was responding to a question on rejection by the Maharashtra Government of the judicial commission’s report on Adarsh scam in which three former Congress Chief Ministers faced allegations of irregularities.
“There is no question of protecting anybody…They should reconsider,” Gandhi said at the press conference at the AICC headquarters.
Soon after the press conference, Chavan was pressed by reporters for his reaction. He replied by saying that he will consult his colleagues on the issue.
The Maharashtra Government last week rejected the report of the judicial commission of inquiry on the Adarsh scam which was tabled in the Legislative Assembly.
The report of the two-member commission headed by retired High Court Judge J A Patil indicted several politicians including three former Chief Ministers for “blatant violations” of statutory provisions.
The report came down heavily on those in authority describing the scam as a “bad precedent” which reflected “greed, nepotism and favouritism” by those associated with it.
Gandhi’s assertion came while he was talking about the Congress’ determination to fight corruption.
He chaired a meeting of Congress Chief Ministers and said a decision had been taken that all the States ruled by the party will enact Lokayuktas modelled on the Lokpal Act by February 28 next year.
Gandhi’s disapproval of the Maharashtra Government on Adarsh came close on the heels of his close aide and Union Minister Milind Deora saying the matter should be investigated instead of being hushed up.
Earlier, Gandhi had trashed an Ordinance cleared by the Union Cabinet to negate a Supreme Court judgement which provided for immediate disqualification of MPs and MLAs after conviction. The Government had then withdrawn the Ordinance.
Asserting that corruption could not be defeated only by the Lokpal Act, Rahul Gandhi said a proper framework requires to be put in place for which a number of legislations were needed. In this context, he attacked BJP for blocking passage of these legislations.
“These days, we hear big talk about fighting corruption… We hear again and again and again and again about corruption. But there is no action… Talks have become a fashion..,” Gandhi said in an apparent attack on BJP and its Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
Pointing out that a number of bills are pending in Parliament, the agitated leader said, “We want a framework… But we are blocked in Parliament. If they (opposition) are serious, let’s stop talking and start acting. We are dead serious (on fighting corruption).”
He went on to add, “let’s have a session of Parliament and create a framework. Whenever we talk about creating a framework, there is complete silence on the other (opposition) side. I don’t hear ‘let’s pass these bills’.”
He emphasised that the country will hugely benefit if a proper framework to fight corruption is put in place, instead of mere talking.
Seeking to highlight the Congress’ determination to fight corruption, Gandhi said the UPA government had proposed a number of legislations in this regard. (Agencies)
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