*Awareness vital for fight against menace: Speaker
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 19: “The Government is making all out efforts to ensure true accountability and transparency for providing pro-people and corruption free governance where rights of all citizens are safeguarded and promoted”.
This was stated by Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), Choudhary Zulfkar here today.
The Minister was speaking at the ‘Awareness Programme Against Corruption’ organized by the JK Against Corruption (Trust) at Police Auditorium.
Speaker, Legislative Assembly Kavinder Gupta, Legislators Ramesh Arora and Rajesh Gupta were also present on the occasion.
Zulfkar said that corruption is a slow poison which squanders resources and affects development, adding that collective efforts from all stake holders are required to root out this menace.
He said that civil society and media’s roles are of utmost importance in this regard and stressed that people should be made well aware of their rights and duties so that they play a proactive role in curbing corruption. “An informed citizenry is the key to corruption free nation”, he added.
In his address, Speaker Legislative Assembly Kavinder Gupta said that corruption is a menace that hinders the growth and development of a nation and it is the duty of every individual to ensure that it is completely eradicated from the society.
” Corruption breeds when people are either not aware of their rights or they don’t raise voice against such practices”, he said and stressed that only education and awareness about their rights can empower people to take control and fight this vice”.
He further said that Government is committed to create a corruption free environment and urged the people to participate and work with the Government to achieve this target.
On the occasion, a debate competition was also organized on the menace of corruption in which students from various schools put forth their views and suggestions for tackling the problem of corruption.
Later, mementos were distributed among the journalists and police officials who have played their part in creating awareness towards corruption-free society.