This government won the Assembly elections on the corruption and good governance plank. Nationwide too, the BJP swept the Lok Sabha elections on basically these same planks. The BJP, when in Opposition and in the run up to the elections had also used the corruption stick to beat the Congress with. And it had worked.
The perception was created that only the BJP could help the State sort this corruption issue and its leadership the only one that had the political will to see things through.
However, the issues that were highlighted in the run-up to the elections have also cast their shadow on the State and its governance post elections. Now, with the government almost reaching 3 years of being in power, we hear admissions from the Chief Minister no less that a majority of officers in departments like the Mines Department and TCP are corrupt. And that is why he is not able to take action against them.
Residents are asking as to the ‘why’ of the statement and whether in his own way he is condoning the illegalities that have happened and have continued to happen.
“The fact that you are giving permissions that are not permitted by law is corruption. The point is no one will stick his neck out to do something illegal unless there is a consideration. Because most of these big parties that but land and do conversions don’t know them personally,” says GBA chief Dr Sabina Martins, arguing that they have brought these matters before the authorities by means of representations and personal visits – but to no avail.
Corruption can be due to acts of omission and commission. If one does not take action against corruption that will obviously embolden others, say those spoken too. But most are not willing to come out openly saying that the BJP and especially the Chief Minister have been known to have a very vindictive streak.
“We expected a lot from him. That is why we voted for him. But he has not fulfilled anything. We did not vote for him to bring back mining; but to give corruption-free governance. This has not happened,” says a voter of the Chief Minister, obviously on the condition of anonymity.
Before the 2012 Assembly elections, the BJP went on an overdrive on the charges of mounting corruption against the Congress government calling it “the loot of the exchequer”. The points below are from the BJP’s campaign literature and are a tell tale look back at the core issues the BJP attacked the Congress on. In a twist of supreme irony the same issues stare back at them mid way through their term
BJP’s Cong chargesheet
New mantra of PPP projects coined by Cong health and tourism ministers smack of massive corruption designs
The SEZ land scam and the involvement of IDC Board in the illegal allotment of large industrial plots was confirmed by the HC ruling, but the govt is not taking action against those responsible for the mess
HSRP scam was exposed by the BJP and the contract had to be cancelled due to public pressure
Finalisation of RP 2021 selectively done to favour builders and land sharks of the ruling party
Govt not keen to introduce
Lokayukta Bill in modified form, due to fear of expose of massive corruption
