India Inc seeks practical solution on Lok Pal

Corporate leaders today said Anna Hazare and the government should find a practical solution on measures to fight corruption, saying the interest of the nation must be given utmost priority.

"I believe we have landed in a very unfortunate situation but we should now look ahead," Bajaj Auto Chairman Rahul Bajaj said.

He said if the government is not in a position to meet the demands of 'team Anna' to strengthen the Lok Pal Bill, then it should ensure that the 'Jan Lok Pal Bill' is introduced through a private member in Parliament.

"This will enable Parliament to discuss both the bills. And what the majority of Parliament wants, Anna has already said he will accept the decision of Parliament, which according to both the government and Anna, is supreme," Bajaj said.

Without commenting specifically on Anna Hazare's protest and the state of corruption in India, Future Group CEO Kishore Biyani emphasised the need to strengthen morality in the system.

"India will have to re-establish values, morality and integrity. The nation has to be treated larger than an individual. We as a nation have lost our values and need to bring it back in the system," Biyani said.

Stating that the government seems to have erred in not sensing society's ire at deep-rooted corruption, Madison World Chairman Sam Balsara said: "It should actively work with Anna to find a lasting and practical solution. However, one cannot suddenly come up and get all the powers to pass a bill since we have a Parliamentary system in place."

While some of the corporate leaders were unwilling to speak on the issue, Mahindra & Mahindra Vice-Chairman Anand Mahindra and Biocon Chairman Kiran Mazumdar Shaw had tweeted in support of Anna's movement.

"Democracy means no voice, however small, must go unheard. The anti-corruption sentiment is not a whisper-it's a scream. Grave error to ignore it," Mahindra said.

One of Shaw's tweets read: "Anna has started another twitter uprising against corruption and injustice - smacks of Tunisia, Egypt - govt hasn't taken any cues."