Corrupt babus may lose part of pension

Bureaucrats face a 10% loss of pension for minor cases of corruption and a 20% cut for major infringements that lead to compulsory retirement from service.

In a bid to deter corruption, government will soon implement the decision taken by the Group of Ministers on corruption. Cases of public servants accused of graft will be fast tracked by quickening the process of approvals. There is also a proposal to ensure that disciplinary action is decided within a year of a complaint being received.

The anti-corruption steps are part of measures suggested by the GoM on corruption headed by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and accepted by the government for implementation.

The GoM was constituted soon after Congress president Sonia Gandhi's call for proactive measures to check corruption at the party's plenary session at Burari in Delhi in November 2010. Not much happened until the latest edition of Gandhian Anna Hazare's successful fast at Ramlila Maidan in August.

Long delays in clearance for prosecution and slow trials have often meant that public servants accused of corruption retire from service and even pass away while proceedings drag on. Also, the delays lead to weakening of evidence and witnesses allowing corrupt officials to escape punishment.

Minor penalties will attract a cut in pension up to 10% which will be imposed for five years. The consequence of major penalties will be a 20% lifelong cut in pension.

Congress core committee to meet over Lokpal issue

With Gandhian activist Anna Hazare refusing to leave the Tihar Jail, the core committee of Congress is to meettoday to finalise its strategy for dealing with the situation.

Anna Hazare was arrested Tuesday ahead of his proposed fast for a stronger anti-corruption law and taken to Tihar Jail. Authorities later declared him free but the Gandhian refused to walk out of the jail until he was allowed to hold his planned fast without any fetters.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and other senior congress leaders attended the party's core committee meeting at 7, Race Course Road, in New Delhi.

Sources say that the Core Group decided to call an all-party meeting on the Lokpal issue, especially to debate the provisions like should the Prime Minister be brought under the ambit of Lokpal or not.

The Core Committee held a meeting yesterday also on these and related issues.

In recent days, the Lokpal issue and the police crackdown on yoga guru Baba Ramdev's camp on the intervening night of June 4-5 have been like an albatross around the government's neck. It had to face a lot of criticism at the hands of the Opposition parties, especially the BJP.

The Core Group was also supposed to discuss the Telangana issue but sources said there was no discussion on Telangana.In April, Jantar Mantar became the base camp for lakhs of Indians who supported Mr Hazare as he fasted for nearly a week.

Satellite protests in cities across India had stumped the government, which agreed to Mr Hazare's demands. He wanted a new law against corruption to be enacted, and he wanted activists who represent civil society to formally draft that law. After arguing that legislation was the prerogative of Parliament, the government gave in. Mr Hazare and four activists, including Mr Kejriwal, formed one half of the Lokpal Bill drafting committee; five senior ministers formed the other.

But of late, the movement has run into rough weather after an impasse between the two sides over drafting the bill. The activists slammed the government accusing it of turning the Lokpal Bill into a "Jokepal Bill.