Saturday, October 29, 2011

Pratibha for multi-pronged strategy to curb corruption

New Delhi, October 30, 2011(Tehelkanews)

Noting that public sentiment against corruption was on the rise, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil on Saturday gave a clarion call to root out corruption and stressed upon the need for a multi-pronged strategy to combat and prevent the menace that hurts the common man the most.



She said there was also heightened expectation amongst the citizens from the Indian polity.



\"Corruption stalls development, undermines social progress, undercuts confidence in the fairness of public administration, impedes good governance, erodes the rule of law, distorts competitive conditions, dampens investments and above all hurts the common man the most. It has to be rooted out,\" she said.



Public accountability



In her opening address at the two-day 43rd Conference of Governors at Rashtrapati Bhawan which is also being attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his senior Cabinet colleagues, the President said the remedy lay in a \"multi-pronged strategy\" which combined preventive and punitive interventions, including simpler rules, transparent processes, judicious exercise of discretion, prompt delivery systems, better public awareness, public accountability and discharge of responsibilities with utmost rectitude.



The President dwelt at length upon the multiple challenges of terrorism, Left Wing extremism, the need for evolving a viable strategy for increasing production, and global recognition of India's economic and technological prowess. She also devoted considerable part of her inaugural address to ills that plague agricultural sector in the country and factors that drive farmers to suicides. She said that suicide of farmers was a national disgrace.



Despite global economic meltdown and domestic inflationary pressures, President Patil said, the fundamentals of India's economy continue to remain strong. \"During my interactions with various Heads of States and Governments, I found that our economic and technological prowess is universally recognized. India's growth story is not only a reflection of the new dynamism of a young India, but also a reaffirmation that the values of democracy, pluralism and the rule of law can sustain high economic growth,\" she told the conference.



While taking pride in economic achievements, she also cautioned about multiple challenges of terrorism, Left Wing extremism and insurgency that faced the country.



Asserting that India's external and internal security was paramount and required foremost attention, the President said that both Central and State governments have to work hand in hand to fortify the security architecture and create an effective deterrence to achieve zero tolerance towards terrorist activities. \"We look forward to hearing from the Governors of those States which share international borders, of how best to address the security concerns of these sensitive States, and so also threats faced with violent manifestations, especially in the rural hinterlands of some States, from Naxalism and Left Wing extremism,\" she said.



Growth engine



Turning to the plight of farmers, she regretted that it has not commensurately improved. She said that rural India should be seen as a growth engine and for the country to prosper, citizens in rural areas have to be economically and socially empowered.



She called for crafting policies to pull out the agricultural economy from the trap of low investment, low productivity and rural indebtedness. \"Suicide of farmers brings disgrace to our country. About 60 percent of our cultivated area is rain-fed, accounting for 44 percent of our agricultural production and supporting 40 percent of our population and also livestock,\" she said.



Setting the tone for making the agriculture-industry partnership a viable, mutually beneficial model, President Patil called for initiating institutional arrangements and policy orientation for a farmer-centric, industry driven, knowledge-based paradigm with enhanced competitiveness of the agricultural sector being the overarching aim.



She asked the Governors to come up with new and innovative ideas, thoughts and experiments which can provide the right lead for initiating a Second Green Revolution in the dryland farming sector.



\"Another area where the Constitution casts a specific and special responsibility on the Governors is the administration of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution. Your role acquires greater relevance since a large chunk of the Scheduled Areas is affected by Left Wing Extremism. There is a felt-need for a sensitive and sympathetic administration. You may also urge the State Governments to intensify the Government – tribal interface at the grass-roots level, to map out the most optimal path for their good. The functioning of the Tribes Advisory Council has to be invigorated,\" the President told the Governors.



Similarly, she pointed out, the Sixth Schedule devolves a special responsibility on the Governors for providing peace, good governance, promotion of the welfare and advancement of inhabitants. \"Special provisions in our Constitution to redress imbalances must work in the right earnest. Working of the Sixth Schedule needs a close look to erase flaws, contradictions and shortcomings, so that it effectively fulfils the expected role as a vehicle of self-governance,\" she said.



The President also touched on complaints that the Autonomous District Councils created under the Sixth Schedule have been stunted in their functioning and that the Councils have deprived traditional village institutions from having a say in decision-making. She asked the Governors to play a pivotal role in harmoniously intertwining the indigenous good governance practices and traditional institutional mechanisms with modern system of administration.



Ragging menace



The President expressed concern over the menace of ragging in colleges during which senior students, showing inhuman conduct, inflicted physical cruelty and mental torment on freshers. She called upon the Governors, as chancellors of the State universities, to wipe out the blot of ragging. Noting that the Supreme Court had taken a strong stand against ragging, she said that regulatory structures have to be constantly monitored to prevent ragging.


News From: http://www.7StarNews.com

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