prasad1
Active member
[h=2]The various pieces of legislation the government is contemplating give lie to its claims of being anti-corruption and pro-poor.[/h]
In the recently concluded session of Parliament, while some important Bills got passed, others had to be sent to parliamentary committees for further scrutiny.
Some of the delayed Bills were termed as ‘game changers’ and the stock market indices reacted negatively. The Bills were passed in the Lok Sabha but were stalled in the Rajya Sabha since the government did not have the numbers. Politics played an important role in all this but there are genuine reasons why a reconsideration of the stalled Bills may be beneficial for the country.
A paper tiger
Let us start with the so-called “Black Money Bill” passed with ease in both Houses of Parliament. No party wanted to be seen opposing it given the prevalent anti-corruption climate in the country. Since the Bill seeks to bring back illegally stashed wealth from abroad, opposing it would have appeared to be anti-national. It also passed easily because most realise that it will do little to bring back the ‘treasure’! The views of the high-profile activists from within the ranks of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ram Jethmalani and Subramanian Swamy, make it clear that the Bill is a paper tiger.
The Bill has no mechanism for doing so. Hence, the draconian punishment — a jail term and 300 per cent fine — can hardly be implemented. An amnesty scheme is being offered to come clean. There will be no punishment if one discloses the assets and incomes abroad in the specified period and pays the taxes within six months. Thus, the inexperienced ones who had held illegal wealth abroad in their own names and earned incomes on them would have a chance to come clean. The HSBC list revealed that some Indians who did take out funds in their own names have now got caught. The ‘experienced’ ones would not have made the mistake of holding funds in their own names.
Then, there is the Whistleblowers Bill, crucial in exposing rampant corruption in the country. While it is difficult for people outside to unearth corruption in institutions, insiders are often in the know and can reveal its extent provided they have protection under the act. But the amendments proposed will make action on complaints by whistle-blowers more difficult, and they can face prosecution. Together, both these will dissuade people with information from coming forward to expose wrongdoing. Is this the intention of the government? Corruption works to the disadvantage of the vast majority of Indians and if the amendments to the Whistleblowers Bill are passed, they will be the sufferers.
In brief, the Land Bill and the introduction of GST will further marginalise the already marginalised. The Black Money Bill and the proposed amendment to the Whistleblowers Bill will together make the task of unearthing black incomes in India or abroad more difficult, in turn adding to the difficulties of the common man. When the NDA came to power, the Finance Minister had argued that being pro-business is not being anti-poor, but the government’s actions seem to contradict that.
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/bills-that-dont-match-promises/article7302554.ece?homepage=true
In the recently concluded session of Parliament, while some important Bills got passed, others had to be sent to parliamentary committees for further scrutiny.
A paper tiger
Let us start with the so-called “Black Money Bill” passed with ease in both Houses of Parliament. No party wanted to be seen opposing it given the prevalent anti-corruption climate in the country. Since the Bill seeks to bring back illegally stashed wealth from abroad, opposing it would have appeared to be anti-national. It also passed easily because most realise that it will do little to bring back the ‘treasure’! The views of the high-profile activists from within the ranks of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ram Jethmalani and Subramanian Swamy, make it clear that the Bill is a paper tiger.
The Bill has no mechanism for doing so. Hence, the draconian punishment — a jail term and 300 per cent fine — can hardly be implemented. An amnesty scheme is being offered to come clean. There will be no punishment if one discloses the assets and incomes abroad in the specified period and pays the taxes within six months. Thus, the inexperienced ones who had held illegal wealth abroad in their own names and earned incomes on them would have a chance to come clean. The HSBC list revealed that some Indians who did take out funds in their own names have now got caught. The ‘experienced’ ones would not have made the mistake of holding funds in their own names.
Then, there is the Whistleblowers Bill, crucial in exposing rampant corruption in the country. While it is difficult for people outside to unearth corruption in institutions, insiders are often in the know and can reveal its extent provided they have protection under the act. But the amendments proposed will make action on complaints by whistle-blowers more difficult, and they can face prosecution. Together, both these will dissuade people with information from coming forward to expose wrongdoing. Is this the intention of the government? Corruption works to the disadvantage of the vast majority of Indians and if the amendments to the Whistleblowers Bill are passed, they will be the sufferers.
In brief, the Land Bill and the introduction of GST will further marginalise the already marginalised. The Black Money Bill and the proposed amendment to the Whistleblowers Bill will together make the task of unearthing black incomes in India or abroad more difficult, in turn adding to the difficulties of the common man. When the NDA came to power, the Finance Minister had argued that being pro-business is not being anti-poor, but the government’s actions seem to contradict that.
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/bills-that-dont-match-promises/article7302554.ece?homepage=true
