Koramangala Matters

The yearlong paid media debates sponsored by a desperate Congress have often been diversionary, deflecting and disrupting to the simple and straight forward message that Team Anna has been consistently advocating from the very beginning. These have been there from draft #1 to the countless ‘upgrades’ that have come out from IAC and also its detractors.

For the common man, this post is meant to highlight the mota-moti [Hindi for major] issues that we as a nation of peace loving, law abiding citizens want:

1. Lokpal should cover PM to Peon.
2. Lokpal must start with a powerful investigating infrastructure by merging the CBI in the Lokpal, retaining its suo-moto investigating powers.
3. The selection of the Lokpal 11-member body must have very little, if any, influence of the government or political sections of society. The search process must be transparent and effective, passing the test of public approval.
4. The Lokayuktas in the states must be an extension of the Lokpal in each state, with similar powers inside the state.
5. The Judiciary (all) should come under the ambit of the Lokpal till an acceptable Judicial Accountability Law and Commission is instituted and operationalised.
6. The Members of Parliament – in as far as corrupt practices are concerned whether inside or outside parliament – should be in the ambit of the Lokpal.
7. Every government department must have an integral Citizens Charter that lays down the benchmark for performance and failure to perform must place the onus on the officer to prove it is not for corrupt practices that the delay has happened.
8. Time bound disposal of complaints by Lokpal. Similarly, time bound disposal of cases by the courts.
9. Open and transparent publishing of Lokpal investigations and conclusions.
10. Independent Budget that the Government of the day must no powers to reduce or interfere in.

The devil is the details they say. It’s now apparent the devil sits in the High Command with puppets in the Standing Committee. Now we will see if the Puppet PM will dishonour his own written commitment of August 2011 to Anna Hazare.

There is a lurking suspicion that the plans are indeed diabolical.

@jsvasan