New Delhi, August 26
A multi-pronged approach was needed to tackle corruption as it was hurting India’s economic growth in a variety of ways while discouraging investors. As the country grows and integrates with the world economy, corruption continues to be an impediment in harnessing the best of technology, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here today.
In his speech while inaugurating the 17th biennial conference of the CBI and state anti-corruption bureaus, the PM said, “The big fish should not escape”.
The Prime Minister said, “Corruption in our country tarnishes our image. It also discourages investors, who expect fair treatment and transparent dealings when dealing with public authorities”. The people of the nation have great faith in the CBI “please live up to it”.
He asked the CBI and other officers to change the feeling in the country that “petty cases get tackled quickly, the big fish often escape punishment”. “This has to change. Rapid, fair and accurate investigation of allegations of corruption in high places should remain your utmost priority,” the Prime Minister said.
As the Prime Minister had identified the return to high growth rate as the biggest task for the second UPA government, his message conveyed his concern over corruption being the obstacle on the revival path. Maintaining that corruption distorts the rule of law and weakens institutions of governance, the Prime Minister said it was hurting the economic growth “in a variety of ways”.
The Prime Minister said important projects, which have huge externalities for growth, do not get implemented in time, and when they do get finished, they are often of a poor quality. Inflated project costs consume scarce national resources, which could have been better used in other important areas.
The “malaise” should be treated immediately and effectively, the Prime Minister said while adding that there is “no single remedy”. “The battle has to be fought at many levels. The design of development programmes should provide for more transparency and accountability. Systems and procedures are opaque, complicated, centralised and discretionary are a fertile breeding ground for the evil of corruption. They should be made more transparent, simpler, decentralised and less discretionary”.
