Rajendra Tandon, an 83-year-old retired government officer from Kota, has taken trouble to "write a bill" -- under Governance Now initiative of "write your own bill". Tandon exhorts us all to do our bit in fighting corruption at the ground level.

Root of all trouble

The government /civil society is presently writing a draft for Lokpal. I am a small fry, 83 years old and have to go to one or other public offices for minor affairs. I cannot draft a bill but am trying through this note to draw the attention of those doing the drafting to be beware and conversant with the plight of us the lesser ones. Include stringent punishment to the lower levels of the bureaucracy after giving them adequate warning through govt circulars and media. And after a time line say of a month or so start taking most stringent action for these are the torturers of the common men and unless they improve people will not get relief. After hafty VI Pay Commission packages making them fatter they have increased their bribe rates to people's horror.

The work of bribe-taking in courts, police, all govt offices, hospitals is going on unashamedly. A central minister and a number of high govt officers in jail, an MP daughter of a southern czar in jail, a CM out of job, a central minister made to resign, cases against a host of biggies underway: all this has not affected the functionaries at lower levels. Babus, thanedar, engineers, doctors and their immediate bosses are as busy as ever in their nefarious activity for the governments in the state and lower levels do not want the message to go to them since they take the bribe and pass on to the higher up.

It is time that all concerned are warned and public complaints and whistleblowing encouraged, protected and respected at the state and lower govt levels. Else Baba Ramdev is coming. And if hope is lowest even then, what remains, naxalism? Why not awake, get alert and do job in the right earnest as appears to be the intention of Sonia, Manmohan, Rahul Brigade? Your minions are letting you down and leading you to Karuna way, bhaiyon.

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Dear readers,

Are you tired of waiting for the law to catch up with a contemporary concern? Write your own Bill or propose amendments to existing/outdated laws.
What you need to do:
    *       Make a statement of objectives
    *       Write the detailed Bill
    *       Suggest mechanisms for implementation
What we will do:
    *       We will initiate a public debate
    *       We will credit the author of the Bill in all references/reports on the website
    *       In select cases, we will lobby with your elected representatives to take it further

Readers are invited to use this feature and write their own bills. Check here: http://governancenow.com/write-your-own-bill.