India has been rocked by a number of corruption scandals A group of eminent Indians says they are “alarmed” by the rising corruption which is “corroding the fabric” of the nation.
In an ‘open letter’, they have expressed concern about “widespread governance deficit almost in every sphere of national activity”.
The group includes businessman Azim Premji and ex-central bank governor Bimal Jalan.
A number of corruption scandals have shaken India in recent months.
“Possibly, the biggest issue corroding the fabric of our nation is corruption. This malaise needs to be tackled with a sense of urgency, determination and on a war footing,” the group wrote in an ‘open letter to our leaders’.
The letter said that independent anti-corruption bodies should be set up “speedily”.
The Congress party-led government is battling allegations of corruption over the allocation of telecom licences – why so-called 2G spectrum phone licences were sold in 2008 for a fraction of their value, costing the government $37bn (£23bn) in lost revenue, according to the national auditor.
Another high-profile inquiry is continuing into claims that organisers of the Delhi Commonwealth Games swindled millions of dollars from the October event.
Congress party president Sonia Gandhi said recently that corruption was a disease in India.
The group wrote that it was also “alarmed at the widespread governance deficit most in every sphere of national activity covering government, business and institutions”.
“Widespread discretionary decision making have been routinely subjected to extraneous influences.
“The topmost responsibility of those at the helm of the nation’s affairs must be to urgently restore the self-confidence and self-belief of Indians in themselves and in the State as well as in Indian business and public institutions which touch the lives of every Indian.”
A recent report by US-based group Global Financial Integrity said the illegal flight of capital through tax evasion, crime and corruption had widened inequality in India.
Many also accuse governments and politicians of corruption in India.
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