Home arrow Archives arrow Political Diary arrow Political Diary 2010 arrow Game Of Corruption:WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT SILENT?, by Poonam I Kaushish, 7 August, 2010
 
Home
News and Features
INFA Digest
Parliament Spotlight
Dossiers
Publications
Journalism Awards
Archives
RSS
 
 
 
 
 
 
Game Of Corruption:WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT SILENT?, by Poonam I Kaushish, 7 August, 2010 Print E-mail

Political Diary

New Delhi, 7 August 2010


Game Of Corruption

WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT SILENT?

By Poonam I Kaushish

 

Patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels, this infamous adage was underscored yet again last week. As notorious tales continue to tumble out fast and furious about the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee’s (OC) ‘shady and fraudulent’ extravaganza of looting public money. Trust our netagan to evoke national pride (sic) and display their phony patriotism when cornered. Forgetting that patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your Government when it deserves!

 

The plunder is both grisly and horrifying. From forged documents, astronomical stadiums’ renovations to inflated prices of sporting paraphernalia and mundane stuff. Passing off local treadmills as imported, wholesale prices of rolls of toilet paper, soap dispensers, water jugs,  you name its there. But the man in the eye of the storm defiant OC Chairman Suresh Kalmadi refuses to quit. “I will if asked to by the Prime Minister or Sonia Gandhi,” he swears.

 

Let the Opposition yell blue murder about the Rs 35,000 crore games of corruption, demand Kalmadi’s head and stall both Houses of Parliament. Allow the defenceless Union Urban Minister to state, “These are sweeping unsubstantiated complaints... if any specific issues are brought stringent action will be initiated,” and his Sports colleague helplessly add, “India will get there....God is with us. The show must go on”.

 

Undoubtedly, the show must go on. But at what cost?  Should the country allow the Government to indulge in such financial wastefulness? Think. The Central Government has decided to underwrite costs and budget shortfall of the Games, despite the fact that the Ministry of Finance cautioned against it in 2003. The expenditure on sports infrastructure is already 2,160% of the initial projected budget and the allocation from the Sports Ministry rose by 6,235% from 2005-06 to 2009-10. Beautification projects costing Rs 600 crore, over Rs 900 crore for renovating Jawaharlal stadium etc. No matter the spanking new Nagpur state-of-art stadium cost Rs 84 crore.

More. Scandalously, the Lok Sabha passed supplementary demands for grants by a whopping Rs 54,588 crore taking the Government's spending to Rs 11,60,000 crore Thursday last. Arguably, what was the tearing hurry to get this vast sum? Has the Government run out of money for the CWG? Given that it’s barely three months since the Union Budget was passed and demands are raised during Parliament’s winter session.

 

With the politician running amuck in the names of the Games, why didn’t Parliament grill the Government? Especially as world experience shows that mega sports events result in losses for the host country, especially when security costs are factored in. India’s expenses for the CWG are likely to create a negative financial legacy for the nation, the effects of which are already visible in the form of higher cost of living and taxes, the latest, fire tax for Delhi residents.

 

Sadly, the Lok Sabha seems to be only doing half its job. True, it adjudicates on tax proposals on the premise that there can be no taxation without representation. But it has let the Executive dip into the nation’s kitty, according to its whims and fancies, without being answerable to Parliament. Tragically, it has not exercised its authority, as defined in Article 292 of the Constitution, to halt to the reckless borrowings of the Government.

 

The Article reads: The executive power of the Union extends to borrowing upon the security of the Consolidated Fund of India within such limits, if any, as may from time to time be fixed by Parliament by law and to the giving of guarantees within such limits, if any, as may be so fixed.”

 

Times out of number, the need to fix such limits on the borrowing powers of the Government was recommended by successive Public Accounts Committees of Parliament. But the Finance Ministry shot it down each time. Its argument? The provision in Article 292 was “permissive” and “not mandatory”.

 

But this is not what our Constitution framers had in mind. During the debate in the Constituent Assembly Ambedkar said: “This Article specifically says that the borrowing power of the Executive shall be subject to such limitations as Parliament may by law prescribe. If Parliament does not make a law, it is certainly the fault of Parliament and I should have thought it very difficult to imagine any future Parliament which will not pay sufficient or serious attention to this matter and enact a law. Under Article 268, I even concede that there might be an Annual Debt Act made by Parliament prescribing or limiting the power of the Executive as to how much they can borrow within that year. 

 

“We hope that Parliament will take this matter seriously and keep on enacting laws so as to limit the borrowing authority of the Union --- I, go further and say that I not only hope but I expect that Parliament will discharge its duties under this Article”. Cautioned Ananthasayanam Ayyangar, who later became free India’s second Speaker: “So far as borrowing is concerned --- there may be short or long-term, imposing heavy obligations upon not only the present generation but future generation also --- sufficient attention is not being given to the manner in which borrowing can take place.”

 

Another stalwart, H.V. Kamath urged: “I plead the name of the future of India … that this article, and this chapter as a whole, should receive more consideration than most Article… I hope that not merely the financial limits out also the purpose of every loan will come before Parliament for its approval, and action is taken by the President in accordance with the policy laid down by Parliament with particular regard to our international relations or our internal policies.”

 

The need to enforce this Constitutional provision is all the more imperative against the backdrop of rampant populism indulged in by our political masters. Especially when the Central Government’s regulatory agencies are either not functioning or functioning in an undesirable manner. Or are being used and converted by politicians into their private fiefdoms.

 

The laxity in the control of expenses incurred by various Ministries makes matters worse by adding to the overall liability of the Government. Successive reports of the CAG have spotlighted the continuing, indeed deepening, malaise year after year. But it has made no difference since Action Taken Reports merely gather dust sand get little Parliamentary attention.

 

Not just that. Various exercises in manipulation have been undertaken over the years to cut down the fiscal deficit and indulge in window dressing. But it was essentially a case of a drunkard selling his assets to pay for the bottle. In fact, internal debt has grown by leaps and bounds over the past five years.

 

In sum, the shocking waste of public money in the name of the Games is a wake-up call for our leaders. It is time for Parliament to sit up and take note of Article 292 and draw a ‘Lakshman rekha’ on financial borrowings without further delay. The Executive must not be allowed to push the country into debt disaster and brazenly mortgage its future. On the facetious ground that Government money is nobody’s money! Chikanah ghara Kalmadi or no Kalmadi. Why is the Government silent? --- INFA

 

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

 

 

< Previous   Next >
 
   
     
 
 
  Mambo powered by Best-IT