Citizens’ intervention in Government Schemes brings Down Corruption – Varun Gandhi
Pics By Prasanna Kodavoor
Manipal: BJP MP from Sultanpur Varun Gandhi on Monday, November 13 said that there should be citizens’ intervention in government schemes and constant monitoring to ensure accountability and transparency which would automatically bring down corruption.
He was delivering the leadership lecture on the need for political reform organised by TAPMI Manipal at the Syndicate Bank Golden Jubilee Auditorium here. People must have the right to remind their elected representatives if they fail to deliver.
In order to build the nation, citizens participation must be encouraged, which can be done in three steps. Like Morocco, a petition system should be formed whereby people can assert their suggestions. Monitoring of government schemes should be done by citizens and the system should be made equal. He also stressed the importance of social entrepreneurship. He further added, “We live in an amazing age. Older generations did not have the internet and therefore had to struggle hard to get basic rights. Chipko movement took years to yield results, but last year in Bengaluru hundreds of trees were saved because of WhatsApp. It is an unequal world, but it is becoming equal generation by generation.
He said Zilla Parishad elections were held in his constituency recently and he ensured that talented people were given an opportunity to contest and most of them won. We must strive to ensure that a composite concept of Hindustan is evolved where all would enjoy the fruits of equality and opportunity, he said.
The leader then shared an example of the British Parliament and said that the electorate there could collectively petition the government and if over a lakh signatures were there, a discussion could be initiated in the parliament ensuring accountability of elected representatives.
Addressing the issue of MPs self-appraising their salaries, he narrated an incident when he had called a session in Tamil Nadu assembly to discuss the issue of farmers’ suicide. On my request, there was a full day session at the Tamil Nadu assembly, and they argued for a full day, but for doubling the salary of MLAs. At least, the MPs should not increase their salary themselves, he opined.
He said it was shameful that the number of sittings in the Lok Sabha had dropped from 123 days a year in 1952 to 75 in 2016. Parliamentarians have failed to live up to their job, he noted that barely 50% of the bills have been passed after scrutiny by Parliamentary Committees and 41% of bills have been passed without discussion, he said.
Dr Vinod Bhat Pro-chancellor Manipal University, Dr Madhu Veerraghavan Director TAPMI were also present.
