New Delhi is the breeding centre of corruption in the country, according to Union minister for parliamentary affairs Srikanta Jena. If corruption is eradicated from the Capital, there would be no corruption in the country, he feels.
If you scan Delhi properly, the problem of corruption will be over. Delhi is the breeding centre of corruption. If you cannot tackle corruption here, you cannot tackle corruption in the country, Jena said.
There are 30 lakh cars in Delhi. Every house has two or three cars. So many beautiful houses, and farm houses are there. There is little industrial activity in Delhi, unlike Mumbai and Chennai, but there is so much prosperity. Where does the money come from, he wondered.
Jena regretted that due to the prevalent culture of corruption, every member of Parliament was suspect in the eyes of the people. Every MP, he said, should declare his assets to bring about transparency in public life. He defended Gujrals call for launching a crusade against corruption. According to his estimates, nearly Rs 5000 crore of black money is used in every general election.
Making a strong case of removing regional imbalances in the country, he regretted that his state of Orissa was lagging behind in almost every economic and human development indicator. This, when it was rich in natural resources. He said very little development had taken place in the state during the last 50 years, and there was the same level of abject poverty as in 1947.
The problem is that anyone who has access to Delhi benefits while those living in far-flung areas are neglected. Not an inch of railway line has been added in Orissa since 1947 even though the railway ministry earns the largest revenue from the state. The same is the case in the case of employment of youth from the state in the defence forces, Jena said.
He reiterated the United Fronts belief that the age of coalition has arrived, and that it was no longer possible for any single party to have a hegemony in politics. The voices of regional forces and various sections of society had greater chances of being heard in a coalition, Jena said.
