PM draws up 20-point agenda on corruption

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is set to outline a comprehensive agenda to make transparency and ethics the core focus of governance at all levels.

Top government sources told Business Standard a 20-point agenda to bring about procedural improvements to achieve this goal was on the anvil.

Adoption of Finland's procedural model was also under consideration.

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They added the Prime Minister was likely to spell out the road map at a two-day conference of state chief secretaries in the capital, slated for February 4 and 5.

A senior government official said the Prime Minister wants effective steps to break the corruption nexus between politicians and bureaucrats and focused attention on making corruption a zero-tolerance zone.

The measures to curb corruption would top the agenda at the conference, to be inaugurated by the PM.

Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar is part of the exercise, the official added.

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Sources said critical steps under active consideration by the government included instructions to clearly mention on files involving clearances by them whether the decision was a government one (taken by the Cabinet) or one by the official himself.

Other steps likely to be stressed at the two-day conference were: Proper scrutiny of officials before appointments, especially to critical posts, posting on websites the names of officials involved in corruption cases and permission to prosecute identified cases.

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Other items on the agenda of the conference include internal security, implementation of the Gram Sadak Yojana and Drinking Water Mission, performance management and delivery and analysis of science & technology projects such as space research.

Governance concerns have been raised by the top corporates at the recently concluded Davos meet and according to experts, it is also impacting stock markets to a certain extent.

A strong signal from the PM reiterating the government's resolve to stamp out corruption is likely to improve sentiment across the board.