Days of corrupts are over?

The news that a Royal Commission will soon be constituted to bring to book those ministers, leaders, bureaucrats and the likes who amassed wealth illegally and that is disproportionate to their earnings lawfully while being in power has been appreciated by the countrymen. The fact is that Nepal has been plagued by a disease called corruption which is all pervasive in the country being practiced even by the men seated in the highest echelons of power. The fact is also that during the past fourteen years of the democratic system, the acts of corruption grew to the extent that corruption became synonymous to the system itself. In effect, a democratic system is a system of governance that allows its people a fair distribution of wealth, facilitates their participation in the system of governance and above all provides a secured and peaceful environment to live in. However, the past fourteen years of this system could benefit only those leaders manning the system and their hangers on. Neither we could observe a fair distribution of wealth to all its citizens nor the people could feel that they too were a part of the system. It is this alienation of the people from the system and the unfair distribution of wealth and sheer neglect of the people in the remote areas that gave birth to several conflicts. In more ways than one, such practices even tarnished the very impressive image of the system which is said to be the best in today's society.

The rag tag bobby tail leaders of the recent past were found having suddenly become millionaires with all the facilities that are demanded of an affluent person. The state was squeezed. The rules were broken. Under table dealings had become common. The officials at the customs, land revenue offices, excise and other revenue generating places became the milking cows for those who controlled those offices. People have had to pay extra amounts to get their legal things done. Government laws and rules were even twisted by the bureaucrats if such twists benefited them financially.

The ministers and the concerned bureaucrats in unison used to devise mechanisms to amass wealth misusing their official authorities and in the process both accumulated wealth at the cost of the nation.

It is believed that if the state dared to nab the corrupt leaders, ministers and the bureaucrats, of the past and the incumbent ones, about fifty huge factories could be established wherein most of the unemployed youths could be consumed there by a greater percentage of the unemployed ones will not have to knock the doors of the man-power agencies for working abroad. Likewise, it is also believed that if the corrupts are squeezed, hundred plus bridges could be constructed on our own. Similarly, with the confiscated money, more than two thousand schools and a thousand plus health clinics could be established in the areas where the people need most.

It is in this light, we welcome the decision taken by the new cabinet to hit hard the corrupts. Let's hope that the Royal Commission acts fast and the money ceased from the possession of such corrupts duly publicized so that people could know the real faces of Nepali ministers, leaders, and the bureaucrats. The wild cats must be tamed and that too at the earliest. However, the money thus impounded should go to the national development purposes.

The days of the past and present corrupts appear to be over. 

Headline | Dateline | National |  5 Question  | 2nd Impression | Views | International | Past