Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Give relief to common man' that was published in Newsband

Give relief to common man

There is a large-scale corruption by people in authority. The common man is frustrated by these never-ending corrupt practices by people on top. Public did suggest remedies like Lokpal Bill and Lokayuktas. The Bill seeks to do for delivery of public goods and services what the Right to Information Act has done for access to official data and documents. Such a forward-looking effort to put the onus of service on the official machinery should not be held hostage to narrow politics.

It is beyond debate that bottlenecks in the processing of passports, revenue records, house plan approvals, transport and trade licences, and municipal services, to name just a few, have created a corrupt system that endlessly harasses the citizen. The passing of the above Bill can bring about the necessary reform in our system.

History shows that the Revolutions had taken place at ground level and subsequent reforms took place in the upper echelons of power.

Empowerment of citizens is necessary. Many citizens can afford to resort to bribes. This indirect extortion adversely affects any possibility of relief for the poor who can’t afford corruption.

This bill will make a big difference to the common man, in dealing with the Government machinery. We should not miss this golden opportunity to shake the bureaucracy. This bill will be more effective than the RTI Act. All well meaning citizens and activists should create pressure on the government to pass this Bill.

But let us not forget that mere enactment of a new law will not change the existing scenario in many government departments which are supposed to follow the law. We have seen how good legislation in the form of Right to Information Act and the Consumer Protection Act has not been successful in bringing about desirable changes in the attitude of the bureaucracy or of suppliers of goods and services to consumers at

large.

Hence we need to study past experience about the two Acts mentioned above and then take suitable steps to ensure that ‘Right of Citizens for Time Bound delivery of Goods & Services Act’ becomes a successful legislation and fulfills the citizens’ demand about time-bound delivery of goods and services.

Whether the proposed legislation will improve the situation or not only time will tell. In most cases it is the lower level bureaucracy, which are politicalised. It is here where there are delays and where they are rarely accountable. The concept of ‘speed money' which had their origin elsewhere has become a part of the Bureaucratic culture. In the process the quality of decisions also becomes suspect.

Redressal of grievances and speedy and timely actions are possible only when the political class is also accountable. That implies that they must be aware of what is happening and must spend the time and inclination to govern. The trade unions of Government Servants must subscribe and commit to the objectives of the bill and must undertake to ensure compliance. Above all, there is an urgent need to simplify procedures and processes.