CITU demand amendment in J&K Accountability Act

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) demanded amendment of the Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission Act and Rules to give more teeth to the anti-graft State Accountability Commission (SAC) to curb the menace of corruption in the state.

The state committee of the Jammu and Kashmir CITU, which met under the chairmanship of Kulgam MLA M Y Tarigami, passed four resolutions at its meeting here, which included amendment of the Accountability Commission Act, construction of hydel power projects on the Chenab river and protection of trade union rights and labour laws in the state.

In a statement issued in Jammu, the first resolution, demanded amendment of the Act and Rules governing the State Accountability Commission (SAC) to make it more effective in weeding out rampant corruption in public office. ‘’The resolutions also demanded protection of the rights of trade union workers engaged in various construction projects in the state to pursue their genuine and just demands besides strict adherence and implementation of labour laws in the state in the interest of a congenial working atmosphere at work places,’’ the statement said.

The CITU members, however, further demanded that the hydel power projects identified for construction on the Chenab river, including Kiru, Pakul Dool, Rattle and Swalakote should be taken up for execution at the earliest and local unemployed youth must be engaged in the construction of these power projects. ‘’Payment of a regular honorarium to workers of the non-profit Association for Social and Health Advancement (ASHA) and Mid-Day Meal workers was among other demands of the CITU members,’’ the statement added.

High-level of corruption a byproduct of Liberalisation : Prakash Karat

The high-level corruption in the country is because of the economic regime that has been instituted in the last 20 years in the name of liberalisation and privatisation, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat said in Tiruchi (Tamil Nadu) on Monday.

Unless we break the nexus of big capitalists, ruling politicians and bureaucrats that was looting public resources, and change the policies, we cannot end high-level corruption in the country, Mr. Karat said, speaking at the Golden Rock Martyrs Day function organised in the sprawling Golden Rock railway colony in the city.

Alleging that the economic policies was helping large-scale corruption and allowing big corporates to loot scarce resources, Mr. Karat said the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government had no intention to change any policies breeding corruption in the country.

On the other hand, it planned to carry forward policies that would increase corporate loot and large-scale corruption, he said referring to the Centre's proposed move to allow industrial houses to start private banks in the country.

Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had nationalised all banks owned by industrial houses in 1969, but the Manmohan Singh government was doing a turnaround by permitting big industrial houses to start banks. This move would transfer large-scale corruption to the banking sector, Mr. Karat said.

He said the large-scale corruption in the mining sector came about after it was thrown open to the private sector in the 1990s, while calling for changing the mining policy. Mining should be allowed only by State-run and public sector companies as it was in vogue in the 1980s, he added.

Along with an effective Lok Pal to look into cases of corruption, the country needed a separate judicial legislation to check corruption in higher judiciary and electoral reforms besides change in economic policies, he observed.

The Left parties would carry on its struggle against high-level corruption and the harmful economic policies to stop the loot of public resources. It was essential to build a powerful movement of working class, women and students to fight corruption.

He said the Left parties could only claim to fight corruption in public life as nobody in the Left parties could be accused of being corrupt, Mr. Karat said. Earlier, he released a book on the life of veteran CPI (M) leader N. Sankaraiah authored by his younger brother N. Ramakrishnan.

Veteran CPI (M) leaders R. Umanath and N. Sankaraiah were honoured by the Party General Secretary on the occasion. CPI (M) State secretary G. Ramakrishnan and party's central committee member U. Vasuki spoke on the occasion.

(Courtesy : The Hindu, Gavaskar Theekathir)