From: Surendra Srivastava <surendra.srivastava@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2010 20:03:33 +0530
Subject: National Campaign Against Corruption - Since 1992: Rs.
73000000000000 Cr. (73 Lakh Crore) gone.. - Time For Decisive Action -
Please spare only few minutes.
To:
National Campaign Against Corruption
*Time For Decisive Action - Please spare only few minutes. Please
circulate
*
*Country will ever be grateful to you for your participation. We really
think this is an important cause as the corrupt posed a greater threat to
the country than terrorists.
*
www.killcorruption.org
* Join hands to build an Aandolan against Bhrashtaachaar in
India. *
Dear Friends,
*Country will ever be grateful to you for your participation. We really
think this is an important cause as the corrupt posed a greater threat to
the country than terrorists.**
*
Therefore please join in National Campaign Against Corruption by promoting
with others *all* or *any *of the following action.
*1- Send an email to PM* - PM's email ID & the message format is appended
below;
*2- Send a post card to PM.* PM's postal address & the message format
is appended below;
*3- Send one Rs. Money order to PM.* PM's postal address & the message
format is appended below;
*4- Sign an on line petition to PM.*
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/killcorruption/
*5- Circulate this mail to all your contacts (Indian Citizen)*
The CAG's report on the 2G spectrum has proven beyond reasonable doubt that
this is a scam of massive proportions involving corruption, arbitrariness,
loss to the public exchequer, and abuse of authority at the highest levels
of the government involving politicians, civil servants and even corporate
houses. The CAG's estimate (which was based on the prices paid by bidders in
the auction of 3G spectrum) indicate that the Indian exchequer was defrauded
to the extent of a staggering 1,52,000 crores!
In the recent past, we have also witnessed the ugly and shameful corruption
surrounding the Commonwealth Games and the Adarsh Housing Society scam in
Mumbai. These are only a few scams that have seen the light of the day. Not
a single day goes without some scam taking place somewhere in the country,
and in a growing economy like India, in the absence of adequate safeguards,
we can be certain of continued corruption.
Yet, the public debate seems to be focused on superficial measures such as
removal of a minister/chief minister, and constituting a parliamentary
committee for investigation. While they may be necessary measures in the
short run, there is nothing on the anvil to either punish the guilty
parties, take corrective measures to make good the loss to the exchequer,
and prevent corruption from taking place in the future.
The need of the hour is tangible, decisive action for combating corruption.
We took the initiative to create a common platform – "National Campaign
against Corruption" to bring together eminent Indians from various walks of
life, and like minded civil society organizations from across the country.
We aim to channelize the public outrage constructively, and put pressure on
the government and political parties to achieve tangible institutional
changes for effectively combating corruption.
*As part of this effort, from now we encourage you to write to the Prime
Minister (**manmohan@sansad.nic.in* <manmohan@sansad.nic.in>*, **
pmosb@nic.in* <pmosb@nic.in>*) and demand concrete steps to punish the
guilty parties and affect institutional changes as outlined below:*
*Esteemed Prime Minister,*
*In the light of the 2G spectrum scam, and evidence of rampant corruption in
many other areas, we urge you to protect national interest by taking the
following measures:*
- *Cancel the 2G spectrum allocation.*
- *Get our money back.*
- *Punish the Corrupt.*
- ***
- Enact laws to protect from future scams.*
*Yours sincerely,*
**
*X X X *
We encourage you to spread this message and make your friends and associates
write to the Prime Minister. He should hear from millions of Indians who are
deeply concerned about mounting corruption in the country and want concrete,
effective steps to cleanse our public life. We encourage you to visit
http://www.killcorruption.org/ and sign an online petition at
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/killcorruption to the Prime Minister.
Wherever possible, please encourage young people, college students, and
enlightened citizens to send the same message by post cards addressed to the
Prime Minister by name at: Dr. Manmohan Singh, R.No.148 B, South Block, New
Delhi 110001. Also Re.1 money order can be sent to the Prime Minister with
the same message. The Money Order will cost Rs.2.25 (Re.1 + Re.1 as MO fee
and Rs.0.25 for the MO form), and has the added advantage of someone in PMO
having to acknowledge it.
Please ensure that your name, address and email or phone number is listed on
your email or post card to lend authenticity to your message.
We will keep you posted on our future plan of action and other developments
from time to time.
Warm regards
Jayaprakash Narayan
National Campaign against Corruption
email: killcorruption@hotmail.com
**
*NATIONAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST CORRUPTION *
* *
There is enormous public anger at the unsavoury corruption revealed in the
2G Spectrum, Adarsh housing society, and the Commonwealth games scams. To
channelize this anger and the desire for change effectively, *Dr.Jayaprakash
Narayan* took the initiative to create a non-party platform – "*National
Campaign against Corruption"* to bring together eminent Indians and like
minded civil society organizations from across the country* *to put pressure
on the government and political parties to achieve tangible institutional
changes for combating corruption.
*Q. What is the 2G Spectrum Scam? *
*
*
In 2008, the union government awarded pan India licenses and second
generation telecom spectrum to 9 companies in 122 circles for offering
mobile telephony services. These licenses were awarded in an arbitrary and
non-transparent manner for a paltry sum of Rs1658 crores, which was the
price discovered in 2001, when the teledensity was very low.
*Q. Who are allegedly involved in the scam?*
- Telecom Minister A.Raja
- Corporate Houses
- Government Officials
- Corporate Lobbyists
- Media Houses
*Q. What is the amount of scam involved?*
**
Based on the subsequent auction of airwaves for third generation (3G)
services, which fetched nearly Rs. 63,000 crores, and that for broadband
access, which fetched over Rs. 35,700 crores, the notional loss to the
exchequer due to under pricing of 2G spectrum was estimated by the CAG to be
a whopping Rs. *1,76,000 crores !!*
**
*Q. What does Rs 1.76 lakh crore mean to our nation?*
**
- 4 Times the money used to build the golden quadrilateral connecting
delhi, mumbai, chennai, kolkata - to improve our road connectivity and
trigger economic growth.
- 30 lakh RTC buses - Could be a big boost for our defunct public
transport.
- 11 crore buffaloes - Could improve our dairy sector
- 1868 Nagarjunsagar dams - Could vastly improve irrigation sector (No
more need for loan waivers)
- 23 Shamshabad airports - Could improve the aviation sector big time.
- 25 Lakh Nursing homes - Could be a big boost of our disastrous health
sector (India remains home to one-third of the world's undernourished
children. )
- 30 Lakhs Schools - Can go a long way in improving our literacy rate -
65%
- 35 Crore Computers - Could establish India as the IT capital of the
world
- 504 Fighter Jets - Could strengthen our defense system in a big way.
*Q. Can this money be recovered?*
**
Yes. Under Section 23 and 24 of the Indian Contracts Act 1872, a contract
becomes void if it is tainted with corruption. The government can cancel the
current licenses and recover the lost money by fresh allocation of 2G
spectrum through international competitive bidding after laying down
transparent eligibility criteria in consultation with TRAI (Telecom
Regulatory Authority of India).
*Q. Did we ever recover such scam money previously?*
**
Yes. In 2007, the Indian Army did not hesitate to scrap a $600 million-worth
deal for 197 helicopters with Eurocopter, the world's largest maker of civil
and military helicopters (and a subsidiary of EADS, the European defence and
aerospace group), following the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)'s
criticism of the bidding process and illegal use of middlemen, violative of
the existing policy of prohibiting middlemen in military deals. The Army
subsequently went in for a fresh and open bidding process.
*Q. Do we have enough evidence to prove the scam?*
**
There were many events leading to the day when the licenses were given...
- TRAI had recommended auctioning of spectrum at market rates.
- Raja ignored advice of TRAI, Law Ministry, Finance Ministry and even
the PMO.
- Licenses issued on a first-come-first-served basis
- Cut-off date for applications advanced by a week
- Rules changed after the game had begun.
- One more clinching evidence is that the bidders were asked to give a
bank guarantee of 1600 cr, and the time given to satisfy the clause - 45
mins. Its impossible for even the biggest of the corporate houses to arrange
for such a huge money in just 45 mins. But, the successful bidders were able
to provide the bank guarantee. If they did not had prior knowledge about the
clause, how can they arrange for it? This proves clear favoritism.
*Q. What should the government do?*
**
As we discussed before, the immediate steps should be to recover the scam
money by canceling the licenses and issue new licenses international
competitive bidding. But there should be some long term measures to
eradicate the menace of corruption from our country. A JPC or PAC as
demanded by the opposition will not do any good .
- *Enact *a comprehensive anti-corruption law and create an Independent
Anti-Corruption Commission (IACC). IACC set up in Hong Kong in 1974 reduced
corruption within a few years. When it was first set up, wags referred to
the ICAC as "I can accept cash". However, the ICAC has worked, precisely
because it is independent.
- *Enact *a Windfall Profits Tax law (on the lines of the UK law 1997),
which will provide for stiff taxation of windfall profits earned by
corporates in the exploitation of natural resources either because of
monopoly or a change in the global economic environment. The companies that
cornered the 2G spectrum licenses through questionable means and sold them
within weeks for astronomical sums should be subjected to the proposed
windfall profits tax. Such a law will also help tax the abnormal profits
made in the mining and other sectors.
- *Enact* a False Claims Act (on the lines of the U.S. law). If the
exchequer incurs any loss because of fraud or misrepresentation or violation
of the due process as determined by an independent, competent authority, the
guilty will have to pay a civil penalty equivalent to three to five times
the loss sustained. The U.S. Government has collected over $24 billion from
corporates under this Act.
There is evidence that significant reduction in corruption alone will
enhance economic growth rate by 1.5 to 2 percent per annum. Recent estimates
indicate that nearly ` 21 lakh crores of tax evaded money earned through
corruption and dishonest business practices is stashed away outside India
debt. Honesty is not merely a moral imperative; it is an economic necessity
to accelerate and sustain high growth rates and eliminate poverty.
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--
Regards
Surendra Srivastava
Founder - Maharashtra Chapter & Volunteer - Lok Satta Aandolan
Base Unit-4, Bycula Service Industries Premises,
Dadoji Konddeo Road, Bycula (East), Mumbai 400027
Tel: 00 91 22 2377 2242
Email: info.maharashtra@loksatta.org
Web: http://www.loksattamovement.in/abt_whyloksatta.htm
If India wins, who loses?
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"सूचना का अधिकार " हेल्पलाइन: 8081898081
yaishwaryaj@gmail.com
