Left Criticises Gujral Action On Vohra Panel Report

The appointment by the government of a three-member committee under Prime Minsiters principal secretary N N Vohra for recommending follow-up action on the Vohra Committee report on criminal-politician nexus, has come under flak from United Front constituents.

The committee has been set up by the government as a follow-up on the Supreme Courts directive for implementation of the Vohra Committee report. Other members on the committee are former cabinet secretary B G Deshmukh and chief vigilance commissioner S V Giri.

The governments decision came in response to the observations of the Supreme Court. The apex court had on August 21, asked the Centre to file an affidavit by September 8, on its follow up action. In March this year, the court directed the government to set up a nodal agency to curb the criminal-politician nexus.

The apex court made these observations while proceeding on the Jain hawala case. The court was looking into the question of autonomy to investigating agencies.

United Front leaders say this was one of the many instances of over-bureaucratisation of the administration in the Gujral government.

On two most important issues, corruption and criminalisation of politics, the Prime Minister has chosen to rely on bureaucrats. This shows his mistrust for politicians on the whole, a senior Left leader said. Gujral had constituted an anti-corruption cell in the Prime Ministers office in August and had announced that the cell would help expedite investigations into various corruption cases.

The Left leader said either of the two issues could not be fought by administrative measures alone. What is needed is a political will to fight these issues. This seems to be lacking in the Prime Minister, he added.

The Prime Ministers whole approach to fight corruption is flawed. He is under the impression that it is the corruption at the lower level which is a cause of worry. There is no doubt that lower-level corruption needs to be fought. But it is the corruption at the higher level which is more dangerous. And bureaucrats cannot be trusted to take effective measures to fight this kind of corruption, another Left leader said.

Front leaders have already expressed doubts about the follow up action the government will undertake on the recommendations of the Vohra committee, given the constitution of the committee and the sensitivity of the report.

The Vohra committee submitted its report when PV Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister and a section of the report was tabled in Parliament only after a concerted demand from the entire opposition.By appointing Vohra as the head of the committee, the Prime Minister has only ensured that his grip over the committee is absolute. But given Gujrals political weakness he will not be able to deliver the goods, a UF leader said.