A ministerial group is examining measures to tackle corruption, after a series of major scandals have plagued the government and paralysed parliament
NEW DELHI (TrustLaw) - India's graft-tainted government is planning a series of measures to tackle corruption including more transparent public procurement, fast-tracking of cases against civil servants and a policy on election funding, the Indian Express reported on Tuesday.
In recent months, a series of major scandals have plagued the Congress-led coalition government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
His government is struggling to emerge from charges that India lost $39 billion due to graft in the granting of telecoms licenses in 2008, which forced the resignation of the telecoms minister.
The scandal has paralysed parliament, with the opposition refusing to participate in the national assembly until a joint investigation into the fraud is conducted.
A separate bribe-for-loans banking scandal which implicates state and private lenders is also being investigated, in addition to a housing scam in the western state of Maharashtra and allegations of corruption in the procurement of goods in the run-up to the Commonwealth games.
The daily paper quoted a government directive saying that a recently established ministerial group would examine measures to bring "full transparency in public procurement and contracts, including making a public procurement policy".
Over the next two months, the ministerial group will also study how to fast-track graft cases against public servants as many cases - especially those against senior bureaucrats - have been pending for years, said the report.
The group will also examine possible changes to the discretionary powers of ministers and provide a clear policy stand on state funding of elections. Election funding is a contentious issue in India where political parties raise money through private donations, the bulk of which are believed to be unaccounted for.
But the Indian Express report said the government's move has been dismissed by opposition parties who see it as an attempt to stem criticism over its reluctance to give in to demands for an independent probe into the telecoms and other scandals.
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