NEW DELHI, DEC 30
The government is bringing an ordinance to constitute an extraordinary anti-corruption mechanism in deference to a five-point agenda for “a battle against corruption” enunciated by Sonia Gandhi in her inaugural presidential address to the Congress plenary session here on December 19, stressing that there should be no tolerance for corruption or misconduct.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who promised to put her agenda into action the very next day in the same speech in which he offered to appear before the public accounts committee (PAC) for the 2G scam probe, has moved fast and got the blueprint of the mechanism ready.
The new mechanism, sought to silence the Bharatiya Janata Party and other opposition parties trying to corner the government on alleged corruption in 2G spectrum allocation, Commonwealth Games and Mumbai’s Adarsh Society scandal, may be unveiled as early as next week as the United Progressive Alliance government’s first gift in the New Year.
The draft ordinance is understood to have been forwarded to the Law Ministry for examination before it is brought before the Union cabinet for approval, though it is not yet placed on the agenda compiled by the cabinet secretary for cabinet meetings.
Though provisions of the impending ordinance are not known, sources said it may include constitution of the Lok Pal, the ombudsman who can also probe charges against the CM, in place of a bill that has been hanging fire for years. It is also expected to cover the five-point agenda of Sonia Gandhi that includes a new system to fast-track all cases of corruption by politicians and public servants, full transparency in public procurements
