Moderation needed in public debates on corruption: PM

There is a need to ensure that honest officers are not harassed for mistakes they might make while taking decisions, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here Tuesday, calling for moderation in public debates on corruption.

The prime minister was speaking at the golden jubilee function of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).

Manmohan Singh said it was important to remember that the ultimate aim of any anti-corruption mechanism is to contribute towards improvement of governance.

President Pranab Mukherjee, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Law Minister Kapil Sibal were among those who also addressed the gathering.

The prime minister said governance can be improved when bold and innovative decision-making is encouraged.

"Therefore, we must make sure that honest officers are not harassed for bonafide mistakes that they might make while taking decisions," he said, adding that there was a "need for moderation in the public debate about corruption".

"In the last few years, there have been vigorous public debates on matters relating to corruption, with accusations flying thick and fast. While informed discussion on such matters is certainly desirable, much too often we see trivialisation of complex public policy issues," he said.

Manmohan Singh said that at the time of the establishment of the CVC in 1964, the then prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri had observed that the commission was to be a fearless champion of men of integrity and a source of terror for corrupt officers.

"We must ensure the championing of the cause of the man of integrity in all our institutions. In the scenario in which this does not happen, decision-making would suffer badly and instead of improving the processes of governance, we would end up stifling them," the prime minister said.

He said there was a need for greater professional expertise in diverse fields in agencies like the CVC and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and suggested that they should induct officers from expert organisations.

The prime minister said the United Progressive Alliance government has been willing to do more to insulate the CBI from extraneous influences but it was necessary to ensure that the political executive exercises the oversight "that it is expected to in a democratic polity over any investigating agency".

The prime minister complimented the CVC for its "outstanding record".

Mukherjee, in his remarks, said corruption needed to be addressed "on a war-footing" as it remained a "major stumbling block" in the progress of India".

"Let us redouble our efforts and address corruption on a war-footing," Mukherjee said after inaugurating a seminar "Combating Corruption".

"Corruption remains a major stumbling block in the progress of our nation. It has increased transaction costs, reduced efficiency of public services, distorted decision making processes and undermined the moral fibre of our society."

"Corruption has reinforced inequities and limited access to public services by the common man, especially the poor," the president said.

"The air is thick with despair and cynicism. There is an urgent need to restore the faith of our people in our governance system and the credibility of our institutions."

Mukherjee said the CVC should lead the way in cleansing the government and contribute to reversing the cynicism of the public towards government functionaries.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushma Swaraj took a dig at the Congress, saying criticism of institutions such as the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) was dangerous for democracy.

She said she was concerned about remarks that institutions like the CAG and CVC were impediments in the path of progress.

"This thinking is not healthy. It is dangerous. The constitution provides for a system of checks and balances," she said, referring to a comment by Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari in September 2013 that the CAG report on the 2G spectrum had a "detrimental effect" on the India growth story.

A coffee table book and a commemorative stamp were released on the occasion.