Cong MP pitches for Ordinance route for anti-graft bills

A Congress MP today made a strong pitch for the Ordinance route for Rahul Gandhi's pet anti-corruption measures and other bills even as Government seems to have developed cold feet on the issue.
Shantaram Naik, who is also Chairman of the Standing Committee of Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to recommend to the President to issue an Ordinance on Citizen Charters Bill and other important bills which could not be passed by Parliament for "no fault of the government".
Naik's push for the measures came a day after the Union Cabinet yesterday deferred these ordinances, which were on the agenda of the meeting.

This was done apparently after senior minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar raised questions over the need for promulgation of the ordinances at the fag end of the tenure of the government.
Naik said people, who create obstacles in the matter of issuing ordinances on technical grounds, will be failing in their duty towards the nation.
The government's reluctance is also believed to have been influenced by fears that President Pranab Mukherjee might raise questions on similar grounds.

The Cabinet yesterday decided to postpone the ordinances. These included ordinances on Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill and Right of Citizens for Time-Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of their Grievances Bill - both dealing with corruption, which were on the agenda of the meeting.

These are among the anti-corruption bills being pushed by Rahul Gandhi to create a "framework" to fight graft.
In a press release, Naik said the Prime Minister recommend to the President to issue an Ordinance in the matter of The Right of Citizens for Time Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of Their Grievances Bill, (Citizen Charters Bill), a historical legislation which could not be passed due to non-cooperation of certain political parties.
"Besides in the matter of the bill in question, ordinances could also be issued in the matter of other important bills which could not be passed for no fault of the government," he said.

He said the Citizen Charter Bill is a historic bill that makes it mandatory for designated public authorities to provide certain services to the citizens in a time-bound manner.
Naik said he submitted the report on the bill in Parliament on 28 August, 2012 and was hoping that the bill would become a law at the earliest.
On subjects like the one dealing with citizens valuable rights, an Ordinance is fully justified and "we will be doing injustice towards the common people who are badly in need of such a legislation".