Performance of elected representatives must be audited – Justice Hegde

Performance of elected representatives must be audited – Justice Hegde

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Nov 5, 2011 : Delivering the valedictory address at an event called Vigilance Awareness Week organized by the Customs, Central Excise, and Service Tax Commissionerates of Mangalore on Friday, former Lokayukta Justice N. Santhosh Hegde spoke about the importance of a system to audit the annual attendance, conduct, and performance of elected representatives so that citizens can recall representatives who fail to do their duty.

Citing a survey conducted by a magazine in 2004 – 2009, he said that only 174 of the 540 MPs speak once throughout the session while the rest hardly participate in the discussions. Moreover, many are hardly present for the sessions, for which reason their performance needs to be audited annually so that people can get the best possible service.

 

 

 

 

Voicing his opinion that the Legislature, the Executive, as well as the Judiciary have failed the people, Hegde said that they are all equally corrupted. He also lamented that corruption is now part and parcel of almost every field, owing to which NGOs and corporates should also be considered as public servants.

M. V. S. Choudhury, the central excise and customs commissioner, who addressed the gathering earlier, said that there are number of honest officers who are neither recognized nor appreciated.

The department observed the Vigilance Week from Oct 31 to Nov 4 to increase public awareness regarding corruption.

Further, Justice Hegde said that he does not feel that the union government will bring into effect a strong Jan Lokpal Bill. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, he said that Team Anna will have to start another movement to force the government to implement the bill.