‘Bihar-model courts’ to seize assets amassed through corruption, a code of conduct for ministers and enacting legislation for banning capitation fee in educational institutions are among the recommendations made by the Corruption eradication committee formed by the State Government.
The committee submitted its report to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Thursday. Special courts modelled on the ones in Bihar are required to attach assets acquired through corrupt means.
The assets of not a single person have so far been attached using existing laws, the committee headed by former Chief Secretary M Mohan Kumar found. Moreover, the committee said, special courts will help speed up trials in corruption cases.
The committee recommended a code of conduct for ministers. For this, a committee of ministers should be formed and the code created with the help of bureaucrats. There should be a facility for monitoring whether there is any violation of the code. The committee pointed out that Britain, Australia and Canada have such codes in place.
The government should follow the Karnataka model and formulate a law to prevent private educational institutions from collecting capitation fee. Karnataka has enacted the ‘Prevention and Capitation Fee Act 1984’, it pointed out.
The committee recommended a whistle-blower protection facility, and also recommended that complaints against ministers, MLAs, government secretaries and important department heads lodged before the government be handed over to the Lok Ayukta for investigation and action.
A second ombudsman for local bodies to handle the overflow of cases, extension of e-district project to all districts, a full-time secretary for the Vigilance Department and inclusion of topics such as corruption, citizens rights in school curriculum are the other recommendations of the committee.
Comments
0 comment