Mangalore, July 2: Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde said that it is time to introspect and ask ourselves if we have really lived up to the expectations of the people who fought and sacrificed their lives to earn us freedom.
Addressing the C A Foundation Day celebration here on Friday, the Lokayukta said that India has broken out of its identity of being a 'third world country' and is racing with some of the developed countries of the world.
“India has developed, undoubtedly, but we have to question if the development has happened across the country or only in certain pockets of the country. In either of the cases, we have to question who is responsible for the same,” he said and added if India on one hand boasts of producing 29 multi billionaires, it is the same country which also has the pathetic situation of the lady of the house milling four to five kms to get a pot of water in rural pockets. “I say there is a contribution of each one of us for the non development of certain pockets and development of only individuals. The professional code of conduct in each and every profession has taken a back seat. A lawyer is not arguing the cases any more but he instead acts like a middleman. This trend has entered every profession possible. There is mal-administration in each and every department,” said the Lokayukta.
He said that the Government talks of Gross Domestic Production (GDP), but we have to know if the GDP has been achieved with contribution from people across the society or by the 29 multi billionaire and another chunk of elites.
The 'Zeros'
Accountants' role
“May it be Satyam or any other scam, there is role of accountants behind them,” he said ending with the note that every profession is collectively responsible for what is partly happening in the country.
Assembly Deputy Speaker N Yogish Bhat, National Institute of Director- Karnataka (NITK) Director Prof Sandeep Sancheti, ICAI Chairman Chandramohan K Y and others were present.
Citing example of Jharkhand CM Madhu Koda who stifled Rs 4,000 crore, Hegde said that Koda, a mine worker managed to take the money out of the country, formed fake companies abroad, invested the money into those companies and brought back the money to India as FDI.
The Lokayukta said: “Our Prime Minister had issued a statement that we should have 'Zero tolerance to corruption'. I tried to make a study on this great suggestion of our esteemed Prime Minister and I learnt that we Indians have managed to cover first three letter of it. We have 'Tolerance to Zeros'. 2G scam has 15 zeros, oil scam has 17. Our scams and the number of zeros in the amount bungled up has been shooting up but we are very tolerant,” said Hegde in ridiculing tone.
He said that the CAG report says that Rs 51,000 crore has been unaccounted in the funds kept aside for eight schemes including mid-day meals, integrated child development, drinking water, Gram Sadak Yojana and the likes.
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