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HOW LOKPAL WOULD IMPACT ON BUSINESSES AND INDIAN ECONOMY
Every new piece of legislation is studied by both the jurists and economists on its economic effects on the economy of the country where the particular legislation has been enacted and/or implement. This gives us a picture that the legal system and the economy are interconnected and interdependent. Even with the enforcement of the Lokpal and the Lokayuktas Act, 2013 Indian Economists were optimistic that it would facilitate tripling of Indian GDP by 2025. Even though the Act brought numbers and made the country optimistic, we must not forget certain key factors like, how the GDP of the nation got linked with corruption or how far the Act would go to check corruption. The interlinking of GDP and Lokpal would result in linking a decline in corruption indicators of economic development.
The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act requires many modifications even now. Firstly, this act would apply to only those states who give it the assent. Secondly, the act mandates the authorities to report to the Lokpal. However, we must keep this in mind that we expected the RTI Act to be a weak law but it turned out to be a very effective and important piece of legislation.
However, one can draw a clear conclusion on reading the bare act that even though this Act might keep a check on corruption, it won’t be able to totally eliminate the corruption from the very root and that’s a huge problem.
The advocates of the Lokpal must have in mind that laws must keep on changing with time while keeping with the unique situation on the society under scrutiny. In India, there lies a huge informal sector which propagates corruption. Hence, the Lokpal much re-examine the socio-economic factors and structures which give birth to such corruption. After the identification of the same, it must be eliminated in order to achieve uniformity.
The main motive behind the two decades of struggle to implement the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 is to provide the citizens a forum where they can raise their voice against the dirty acts of corruption without any fear. Keeping this thing in mind the Lokpal is kept out of the clutches of the executive and even the office of the Prime Minister has been kept within the purview of the Lokpal. Various institutions in the past were enforced by the governments like Central Bureau of Investigation and Central Vigilance Commission but despite a few historic cases these institutions have mostly failed to prevent widespread corruption which has become a part of parcel of the daily lives of the citizens. Such horrifying acts of corruption had necessitated the creation of the Lokpal and Lokayukta.
There has always been a need for a mechanism that would provide for simple, speedy, and independent means of delivering justice by readdressing the grievances of the people without letting the executive succumb the means into its clutches. Our past history is of ultimate proof that India has several laws that have been covering a plethora of subjects and areas but has somehow failed to execute the same effect and in a timely manner and it is as we all know that justice delayed is justice denied. In our country, when a new piece of law is implemented it becomes lengthy and consumes time is stretched over the years. “The more corrupt the state, the more laws”, rightly said Publius Cornelius.
- Check corruption
- Achieve uniformity
- Voice against corruption
