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The CBI’s autonomy in question

The FIR registered by the CBI against former UP Chief Minister  Mayawati and others in the Taj Corridor case has been quashed by the Supreme Court on technical grounds (editorial “Maya wins court battle”, July 9). However, the entire episode has raised very pertinent and important questions vis-a vis the autonomy and functioning of the premier investigating agency.

The Supreme Court had directed the CBI to probe the alleged bungling and corruption to the tune of Rs 17 crore in the Taj Corridor case but the CBI went overboard and filed a disproportionate assets case against Mayawati. Who directed it to register the DA case or was it a mere inadvertant and naive act done by the CBI? The DA case might have been registered at the behest of the powers that be indicating that the CBI’s autonomy is a myth.

Interestingly, former CBI Director Joginder Singh revealed during the course of a group discussion on CBI autonomy on a leading TV channel the other day that he was called by the then Prime Minister when he was in office and told to ‘look into a politically sensitive and corruption case properly’ and when he submitted that he would go by the law, the PM asserted ’Well, I am the Prime Minister of India’. To this, Mr Singh replied, ‘Well Sir, I know it ‘(also see his book ‘Inside CBI’ in this regard). Without an autonomous and professional anti-corruption outfit, political corruption cannot be scotched.

The ‘love and affection’ theory put up by corrupt politicians should be rubbished away. The political class is very inventive in amassing and stashing the ill-gotten wealth and loot under glib talk and alibis such as ‘political vendetta’, ‘conspiracy by political rivals to malign one’s reputation’ and now comes the ‘love and affection ‘theory.

It seems no one is more loved than the Jagan Reddys, Jayalalithaas and others of their ilk whose assets grew from lakhs to crores with the people’s love and affection .

Dr PREM SINGH DAHIYA, Rohtak

Dr MM GOEL, Kurukshetra

PGI’s mismanagement

The PGI observed its golden jubilee celebrations recently, but the PGI management has failed to make its benefits reach the common man with ease (news report “PGIMER golden jubilee celebrations begin”, July 8). The Radiology Department in PGI is stated to be duly equipped with equipment like x-ray machines, CT scan, MRI and other machines but despite the availability of these facilities, patients are directed to get tests done from outside. When there is immediate necessity of blood, it is not available in the PGI. The most urgent problem is being faced in the Emergency ward of PGI where only 2-3 trainee doctors attend to patients, with no senior doctors doing the rounds.

HARI CHAND SHANKER, Ambala Cantt

Where to go for organ donation?  Organ donation during one’s lifetime or after death is a very noble act, as it saves precious human lives. The number of patients waiting for organ transplant in Indian hospitals is going up. The acute shortage of human organs for donation in India is due to two factors. Firstly, the procedure of procuring organs from potential donors is not yet streamlined. Secondly, the general public is not fully aware of the need to donate organs. If at all, someone decides to donate organs, he or she does not know whom to contact. The government, hospitals and organ banks should work in tandem to improve the system and educate the public in this regard. The donors are ill-informed about the person or authority to be contacted for registering as donors. Lt Cdr KULDIP SINGH (retd), Mukerian