-- political corruption

["Komaragiri, Param (Param)** CTR **" <param@lucent.com>]

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      A govt salary of 2 lakhs per annum and even a life time pension of
10,000 per month for an MP is not going to fix the problem of campaign
financing which it self is about 15 to 20 lakhs per Official estimate
estimate, which can never be funded by Govt even if high salaries are given.
Unless other wise there is a utopean constituency where hundreds of
volunteers work for the candidate, and banners etc are 'donated' or there is
no canvassing at all, simply by a radio speach or televison speach people
vote for a candidate
or it is 'Prohibited' to 'spend' large amounts for campaigning i e 'Ban' all
electioneering excercises which are thought to involve heavy spending.Other
wise there is no answer for 'campaign funds'.

        It appears there is general agreement that politicians need a higher
compensation. Like many members did last two days, I too mentioned in my
document that they should be paid  at par with their nearest comparable
civil service official .
       There is another question we have to address.. , the point mentioned
in 'laws of political corruption'  ipi ,
 'the long term career compensation'  for a candidate. The elected term is 5
years, and he might have lost number of life time career oppurtunities if he
were to join politics.This is also one reason for any committed
individual-elite to join politics.

--------- In tune with this higher remuneration concept, some thing like a
'pension' for rest of his life, covering his immediate dependant also  shall
be conceived, and the funds for that too can be from campaign financing
funds, which should let 10% to be routed to his pension fund rest of which
will be spent or goes to PM relief fund.
          For example in  a parlamentary constituency if 15/20 lakhs is the
amount spent on canvassing, presuming atleast + 5 lakhs each year as the MPs
spendable amount from a common fund, his lottery earnings, he should be able
to gather 90 to 100 lakhs from campaign financing, to go in to a common
fund, and the moment he is elected, 10% of it goes in to the common account
which can yield about 10% interest, ie up to 10,000 Rs per month so long as
he is alive and later to his next kin .

Break Up Of Figures:(MP)
1) Campaign Earnings : 150 lakhs (from lottery alone).
2) Lottery prize amount paid :   50 lakhs (five prizes of 10 lakhs each for
instance)
3) Amount going in to common fund governed by Govt official/election
commission  and the Candidate   : 100 lakhs
4) 10% of it goes to pension fund till his and his dependant life time  : 10
lakhs ( to yield ~10,000 Rs pm after his term) .
5 ) Amount he spends or is allowed to spend every year as a political
functionary, by way of giving checks, receipts etc open for
    audit, open for press and public scutiny ---5 to 12 lakhs ! (mandatory
expenditure per norms.. or goes to pm relief fund !)
6)About 15 to 20 lakhs would have gone compensating his election expenses.

 Any unspent amount goes to PM releif fund after 'each year' and after 5
year term. He is left with the pension, yielding 10,000 pm till his life
time and fat savings he can make from an equal salary of Civil Service
official , which is not subject to such stringent scrutiny bu taxable.

Amounts other than  lottery amount like donations, can be in party's
name,and are under party controlled funds,
are not covered by these controls.

Finally what I would suggest is
1) If Campaign Expenses, as it is now, are allowed, then allow lottery based
earnings with 10% provison for his pension too.
2) Other wise, Ban Campaigning aspects that involve heavy expenses. (At
least we will have less noise polution and less law and order problem.After
all despite all the din and noise of canvassin voter turn out is meagre
60%).

 In both cases, let an elected leader have a life time pension from the same
source of funds which pays him bigger salary.This is an attempt to make him
risk free at least from subsistance question of his family. I have seen a
leader, freedom fighter, communist, donated 250 acres of his ancestral
property in the name of communism to the party, but never got a 'ticket' for
assembly since he was not rich any more to 'finance' election activities,
but was given as a 'gesture' one ticket that worked as 5 year assembly time
in his sacrificial career, and was able to live moderately comfirtably only
when he was in mla quarters.He was for sure a dedicated 'politician', though
communist, apt at his times of freedom movement when they raised in revolt
against oppressions of land lords and Nizam, but never had an oppurtunity to
serve needs of his people Just because he could not 'Finance' electioneering
and suffered for 'subsistance' funds even after his term in office.he was a
freedom fighter, sacrificer of 250 acres of land and finally to become after
all an MLA.

All this is to say, setting aside our common perception that politician is
normally rich and also corrupt, and so there is no need for higher
remuneration for him, we should have a 'comprehensive system' so to say,
that takes care of all inputs involved in electioneering mechansim.


Parameswar






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