PM Asked to Convene All-party Meet for State Funding of Polls
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Apr 13: Taking inspiration from the tremendous success of the Gandhian Anna Hazare’s campaign against corruption that forced the Congress-led UPA regime to concede the demand for enacting the Jan Lok Pal law, the Anti-Corruption Forum led by former Karnataka Assembly Speaker Krishna demanded cleansing the political system should begin with reforms in electoral process including government funding for elections.
Addressing a news conference, Krishna, who heads the Brashtaachaara Virodhi Ranga in the State asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to convene a meeting of all-party leaders and representatives of civic groups on the need for amending the Representation of the Peoples Act for implementing state-funding of elections.
He said that a bill to amend the Representation of the Peoples Act should be tabled in the Parliament in the winter session. The government should also come out with a legislation barring criminals, land sharks, those looting natural resources and dealing in black money from contesting elections, he said.
Recalling the opposition of the people to former chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Haryana like Uma Bharati and Omprakash Chautala for participating in the fast launched by Hazare, Krishna said it was an insult to the political class as it had showed that people were looking at politicians as ''untouchables and anti-socials."
''There is an urgent need for all political parties to introspect and evolve a moral code of conduct for its members," he said.
Meanwhile at the state level, the forum has come out with a four-point demand including asking Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa to give up the discretionary power to sanction sanction plots of the BDA and KIADB besides that of denotification of lands acquired by the government since such powers had become the root cause of political upheaval in the state.
The Congress president Sonia Gandhi has asked the Chief Ministers of Congress ruled States to give up such discretionary powers.
Referring to Yeddyurappa’s support to the Jan Lokpal Bill, Krishna asked the chief minister to display his commitment to anti-corruption by providing suo motu powers to the Lokayukta to probe people’s representatives.
Further, anti-corruption ombudsmen should be appointed in all the districts to look into complaints of corruption, he demanded.
Similarly, he suggested steps to bring in transparency in the process of recruitments of Karnataka Public Service Commission, which should be strengthened by appointing a senior bureaucrat known for his integrity and probity.
On the lines of the UPSC, he said the KPSC should decide the interview panel for each of the candidates just 10 minutes before the interview by draw of lots and the process of interview should be video-recorded and the copies should be made available for public scrutiny.