The Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) government was probably the first to publicly welcome the resolutions passed in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on the Lokpal Bill and went on to assure all “cooperation to all efforts and initiatives that would promote transparency”. One must welcome this stand being taken by the NPF led DAN government as it will hopefully facilitate concrete steps to put a check on corruption in our State. Offcourse the Opposition Congress is obviously not fully convinced about the intention of the present government in taking on corruption. Maybe they (i.e. the Nagaland Congress) have their own pessimism. In fact, amused at the NPF statements of welcome for the Lokpal bill and the resolution in Parliament supporting Anna Hazare’s three demands, the Nagaland Congress dared the ruling party to float an anti-corruption ombudsman for Nagaland if at all the NPF-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) was serious like it projects itself to be. The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) went on to state that if the NPF government is serious in welcoming the bill, let it pass a resolution in the coming session of the assembly for appointment of the state’s own Lokayukta (Ombudsman). Why only the NPF when the Naga public will be keenly observing our politicians and parties on how they put their nice words into action.
Coming back to the endorsement given by the NPF government to the resolution in Parliament giving support to the three key demands made by Anna Hazare, it will be noteworthy to see what these three demands are all about and whether the NPF government can also take concrete steps to its own endorsement. So it’s really up to the present government to demonstrate whether it is serious in taking on corruption or it is just (as the Nagaland Congress puts it) “another eye-wash” of NPF government. To refresh the three key demand put up by Team Anna was on the question of citizen’s charter, inclusion of lower bureaucracy and creation of Lokayuktas in the States. As far as citizens charter goes, almost all our departments in the State do not have this and even the few (Health & Family Welfare) that has it mentioned in their website, it is more in the nature of information of services provided and does not include what the public should expect in terms of commitment, redressal of grievances within a time limit etc. Some departments do have grievance cell but it is more of decoration.
According to Team Anna Hazare’s key demand for Citizen’s Charter each public authority (i.e. Departments in our case) will have to prepare a specific charter. And “every citizen’s charter shall enumerate the public authority's commitments to the citizens”. Any violation of the charter will allow the public to get its grievances redressed within a specific period and if the authority fails to act on the complaint, suitable penalty will be imposed (fine for each day’s delay to be recovered from the officer). Coming to the other demand to implement the Lokayukta uniformly across Indian States, it will be interesting as to what steps the government will take. The fact that both the ruling NPF and Opposition Congress appear (by their statements) not to be averse to the demand by Anna Hazare for a strong and effective Lokpal (including citizens charter and Lokayukta in the State’s) hopefully the coming Assembly Session will take up what it has stated publicly about its commitment to fight corruption.
Coming back to the endorsement given by the NPF government to the resolution in Parliament giving support to the three key demands made by Anna Hazare, it will be noteworthy to see what these three demands are all about and whether the NPF government can also take concrete steps to its own endorsement. So it’s really up to the present government to demonstrate whether it is serious in taking on corruption or it is just (as the Nagaland Congress puts it) “another eye-wash” of NPF government. To refresh the three key demand put up by Team Anna was on the question of citizen’s charter, inclusion of lower bureaucracy and creation of Lokayuktas in the States. As far as citizens charter goes, almost all our departments in the State do not have this and even the few (Health & Family Welfare) that has it mentioned in their website, it is more in the nature of information of services provided and does not include what the public should expect in terms of commitment, redressal of grievances within a time limit etc. Some departments do have grievance cell but it is more of decoration.
According to Team Anna Hazare’s key demand for Citizen’s Charter each public authority (i.e. Departments in our case) will have to prepare a specific charter. And “every citizen’s charter shall enumerate the public authority's commitments to the citizens”. Any violation of the charter will allow the public to get its grievances redressed within a specific period and if the authority fails to act on the complaint, suitable penalty will be imposed (fine for each day’s delay to be recovered from the officer). Coming to the other demand to implement the Lokayukta uniformly across Indian States, it will be interesting as to what steps the government will take. The fact that both the ruling NPF and Opposition Congress appear (by their statements) not to be averse to the demand by Anna Hazare for a strong and effective Lokpal (including citizens charter and Lokayukta in the State’s) hopefully the coming Assembly Session will take up what it has stated publicly about its commitment to fight corruption.
