Pune, Apr 8 : The Lokpal Bill, being demanded by Gandhian Anna Hazare, is inadequate to tackle corruption and would be a major hurdle in the country's development, says Suresh Khopade, special inspector general of police, crime investigation department, reports Times of India.
At a news conference here on Thursday, Khopade said, "More powers to the Lokpal will not serve the purpose of curbing corruption because the Indian Law of Evidence, Criminal Procedure Code, Indian Penal Code and the lawyers will remain the same. The attitude towards the system and bypassing it, and banking on the loopholes in law
will remain unchanged. In such a situation, the Lokpal system will prove to be as corrupt and inefficient as any other existing regulatory agency or system. It will transform the regular babu into a draconian babu."
Commenting on social crusader Anna Hazare's indefinite hunger strike to press the demand for enactment of Jan Lokpal bill, Khopade said, "The Lokpal Bill will not stop corruption at all. Also, if the strike, which is being supported from all corners of the country, fails, people will lose confidence in such protests. This will be a greater loss to the country."
Khopade, pioneer of the mohalla committee initiative for communal peace, has served for more than 20 years in the state police and has written a couple of books on his experience in service and analysed Jthe system. According to him, to correct the system, it has to be restructured right from every office's mission statement.
"Every office has its mission statement, which should be revised, made people-oriented and based on morals and ethical practices. India, being a developing country, should restructure its offices, rights given to officers, goals of the offices and their functioning. Public participation in decision-making has to be more scientific and sensible," he said.
