Sh. N.Vittal's response

["Dr. Sanjeev Sabhlok" <sanjeev@sabhlokcity.com>]

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Friends,

I recently sent a copy of my Political Corruption paper to the Election
Commission, Law Ministry, Parliamentary Affairs Ministry, and the C.V.C.
Shri N. Vittal.

The CVC has sent me a D.O letter expressing his views on the paper. Since
the matter is of great public import, and we have been discussing it on IPI
for more than two years now, I am placing a copy of the operational part of
his letter below for the information of IPI members and for discussion.

							Dated June 29,2000.
"I thank you for your letter enclosing your paper on The Inevitability of
Political Corruption in India.

"The solution which you are indicating that our Members of Parliament must
be adequately remunerated may still not bring the corruption free system.
We will have to try and emulate systems as in the United States or Britain
so that funds can be raised openly and in a transparent manner for
contesting elections, and those who come to the public service do so as a
part of their spirit of public service and taking even financial loss
during the period they are in government. For instance, many who serve in
the US Government perhaps undergo loss during the time they are in
government but then they capitalise on the experience once they leave
government and become consultants, public speakers etc.

"Perhaps a situation like that in the United States is far more transparent
and better than our corrupt system."

1.	Shri N.Vittal holds a very similar belief to the one on IPI (cf.
People's Manifesto) regarding openness and transparency in electoral
funding. I will therefore send a copy of Shri Vittal's letter to the CEC
and Law Ministry with the hope that they can do something about this.

2.	On his second point, Shri Vittal seems to feel that being a public
representative has necessarily to be a loss making enterprise. He cites the
example of USA where apparently, such is the case. One would have to differ
from him on this point because the salaries of Senators, Governors, etc.,
are well above that of any other public servant. In fact, these salaries
approach those of the senior executives in very big multi-national firms,
or the top bosses in international organizations [friends in USA may pl.
confirm]. There is thus no question of public service being a loss making
enterprise in USA.

This is particularly important to note, given that election expenses are
NOT required to be met from these salaries, being separately accounted for.
I hope to write further on this issue to Shri Vittal.

We need to search for good and genuine solutions to the problem of
corruption in India. Sometimes, though, I am deeply disappointed about the
drought in thinking that prevails in India in this area of fundamental
importance.

Sanjeev

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