Our Two Penny Worth

Our Two penny worth…

What is the predominant feeling when we hear that Anna Hazare has become a global phenomenon?

A relieved delight or a shameful sadness?

Delight that at last someone is standing up to the insidious and ubiquitous cancer called corruption? And that he is garnering a phenomenal following?

Sad that our diseased underbelly (diseased by corruption, of course) is now open for comment and scrutiny by the global community?

See the video link here…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnJeKu0HYG0

For me it was a feeling of “aha, at last!” and a quickening of interest in the man and his actions.

So what is he fighting about?

The Jan Lokpal Bill.

Here is what Wikipedia has to say….

“….In India, the Jan Lokpal Bill (also referred to as the citizens' ombudsman bill) is a draft anti-corruption law that would create an ombudsman called the Jan Lokpal; this would be an independent body similar to the Election Commission with the power to prosecute politicians and bureaucrats without prior government permission

Drafted by Shanti Bhushan, retired Indian Police Service officer Kiran Bedi, Justice N. Santosh Hegde, advocate Prashant Bhushan, former chief election commissioner J. M. Lyngdoh in consultation with the leaders of the ‘India Against Corruption movement’ and civil society, the bill proposes the institution of the office of Lokpal (Ombudsman) at the center and local Lokayukta at the state level. The bill is designed to create an effective anti-corruption and grievance redressal system that effectively deters corruption while providing effective protection to whistleblowers[/b]

For 42 years, the government-drafted bill has failed to pass through the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India.[/b] The first Lokpal Bill was passed in the 4th Lok Sabha in 1969 but stalled in the Rajya Sabha. Subsequent Lokpal bills were introduced in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and 2008 but all failed to pass. Following the four day Anna Hazare fasting struggle, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated that the Lokpal Bill would be introduced in the 2011 monsoon session of parliament….”

“…With over 65,000 Facebook fans who have expressed their liking for him, the septuagenarian has caused a furor in Twitter and the tweets referring to his campaign were among the world’s most trending tweets listed in Twitter’s ‘breaking globally’ trends. Questions like — ‘Anna Hazare who is this?’— are commonplace on Twitter? He is trending high in India, the Gulf countries, the UK and the US — all countries with a considerable Indian expat population.[/b]

Avaaz, an international online community that has over 7.5 million members, has also started a campaign to support Anna Hazare. Started in 2007, the community operates by organizing protests through the internet.

Facebook has become the medium to mobilize crowds at the country’s urban centers and people are posting the locations on the walls of various pages created to support the anti-corruption campaign. Facebook has become the directory of protest points across the country and there are several people who have expressed their commitment to join the protests on the designated dates….”

But is it enough to just click I likes and express support through Tweets?

Shouldn`t we also offer as many ideas to the Lokpal to help them tackle corruption?

Being part of the Real Estate Industry in Chennai, South India, I can say for sure, that unless the Real Estate Industry is reformed, corruption cannot be controlled. Real Estate markets provide the best hiding places for massive amounts of black money. It is not a coincidence that Real Estate transactions figure in nearly all the major scams which had rocked our country in recent times.

The epicenter of all real estate transactions is the Registrar`s Office. Corruption here is now done openly. They have a black money rate card for everything. Sale deed registration, Encumbrance certificate applications, Power of Agreements … every single document needs additional greasing as per the unofficial rate card, if things have to move. To obtain a posting in busy Registrar or Sub Registrar offices, every employee including a peon needs to pay huge sums of money to the powers that be.

The suggestion here is why not close down the Registrar offices and shift their activities to Nationalized Banks? Senior officials of Bank Branches in major locations could be empowered to accept the Registrations and payment will of course only be through designated bank accounts. The banks could earn a commission of 2% of the transaction which becomes a new revenue stream for them. The State Governments are not going to lose any revenue because the stamp duty and surcharge amounts are directly paid by people into their accounts with the Banks. Of course, what I have suggested here are on broad lines, but this idea has the potential of allowing itself to be gainfully fleshed out.

The Registrar employees could be shifted to the Statistical department, where we need considerable resources to map out all our citizens` information if we have to usher in a Nationwide Social Security Network. But that is another story.

Remember how Dr. Manmohan Singh, in 1992, as Finance Minister, took away the incentive or motive for Gold Smuggling, by freeing gold imports by virtually any one?

This could just be the beginning. The next step could be removing opaqueness in Real Estate Transactions by streamlining regulations and by appointing a Regulator for the Industry.

 

[Swaswati Borpuzari]

Reflecting on the idiom "our two penny worth," it's a quaint and rather humble way of offering an opinion or suggestion, often used in the British English vernacular. The phrase suggests that what is about to be shared might not be of great value—only worth two pennies, after all—but it is heartfelt and comes from a place of genuine intent to contribute or help. In the fast-paced, often high-stakes world we live in, where expert opinions and authoritative analyses can sometimes overshadow more modest viewpoints, taking the time to listen to "our two penny worth" can be refreshing and enlightening. It reminds us that everyone has something valuable to say, and that even the smallest contributions can lead to significant insights. Whether in a community meeting, a family discussion, or a professional setting, the act of offering "our two penny worth" fosters a sense of inclusivity and encourages a culture of open dialogue and mutual respect. In essence, it underscores the democratic principle that every voice matters, and it is through the aggregation of these diverse perspectives that we can truly understand the complexities of any issue and make more informed decisions.

 

[Dhruv Bindhani]

Our Two penny worth…

What is the predominant feeling when we hear that Anna Hazare has become a global phenomenon?

A relieved delight or a shameful sadness?

Delight that at last someone is standing up to the insidious and ubiquitous cancer called corruption? And that he is garnering a phenomenal following?

Sad that our diseased underbelly (diseased by corruption, of course) is now open for comment and scrutiny by the global community?

See the video link here…

For me it was a feeling of “aha, at last!” and a quickening of interest in the man and his actions.

So what is he fighting about?

The Jan Lokpal Bill.

Here is what Wikipedia has to say….

“….In India, the Jan Lokpal Bill (also referred to as the citizens' ombudsman bill) is a draft anti-corruption law that would create an ombudsman called the Jan Lokpal; this would be an independent body similar to the Election Commission with the power to prosecute politicians and bureaucrats without prior government permission

Drafted by Shanti Bhushan, retired Indian Police Service officer Kiran Bedi, Justice N. Santosh Hegde, advocate Prashant Bhushan, former chief election commissioner J. M. Lyngdoh in consultation with the leaders of the ‘India Against Corruption movement’ and civil society, the bill proposes the institution of the office of Lokpal (Ombudsman) at the center and local Lokayukta at the state level. The bill is designed to create an effective anti-corruption and grievance redressal system that effectively deters corruption while providing effective protection to whistleblowers[/b]

For 42 years, the government-drafted bill has failed to pass through the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India.[/b] The first Lokpal Bill was passed in the 4th Lok Sabha in 1969 but stalled in the Rajya Sabha. Subsequent Lokpal bills were introduced in 1971, 1977, 1985, 1989, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and 2008 but all failed to pass. Following the four day Anna Hazare fasting struggle, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated that the Lokpal Bill would be introduced in the 2011 monsoon session of parliament….”

“…With over 65,000 Facebook fans who have expressed their liking for him, the septuagenarian has caused a furor in Twitter and the tweets referring to his campaign were among the world’s most trending tweets listed in Twitter’s ‘breaking globally’ trends. Questions like — ‘Anna Hazare who is this?’— are commonplace on Twitter? He is trending high in India, the Gulf countries, the UK and the US — all countries with a considerable Indian expat population.[/b]

Avaaz, an international online community that has over 7.5 million members, has also started a campaign to support Anna Hazare. Started in 2007, the community operates by organizing protests through the internet.

Facebook has become the medium to mobilize crowds at the country’s urban centers and people are posting the locations on the walls of various pages created to support the anti-corruption campaign. Facebook has become the directory of protest points across the country and there are several people who have expressed their commitment to join the protests on the designated dates….”

But is it enough to just click I likes and express support through Tweets?

Shouldn`t we also offer as many ideas to the Lokpal to help them tackle corruption?

Being part of the Real Estate Industry in Chennai, South India, I can say for sure, that unless the Real Estate Industry is reformed, corruption cannot be controlled. Real Estate markets provide the best hiding places for massive amounts of black money. It is not a coincidence that Real Estate transactions figure in nearly all the major scams which had rocked our country in recent times.

The epicenter of all real estate transactions is the Registrar`s Office. Corruption here is now done openly. They have a black money rate card for everything. Sale deed registration, Encumbrance certificate applications, Power of Agreements … every single document needs additional greasing as per the unofficial rate card, if things have to move. To obtain a posting in busy Registrar or Sub Registrar offices, every employee including a peon needs to pay huge sums of money to the powers that be.

The suggestion here is why not close down the Registrar offices and shift their activities to Nationalized Banks? Senior officials of Bank Branches in major locations could be empowered to accept the Registrations and payment will of course only be through designated bank accounts. The banks could earn a commission of 2% of the transaction which becomes a new revenue stream for them. The State Governments are not going to lose any revenue because the stamp duty and surcharge amounts are directly paid by people into their accounts with the Banks. Of course, what I have suggested here are on broad lines, but this idea has the potential of allowing itself to be gainfully fleshed out.

The Registrar employees could be shifted to the Statistical department, where we need considerable resources to map out all our citizens` information if we have to usher in a Nationwide Social Security Network. But that is another story.

Remember how Dr. Manmohan Singh, in 1992, as Finance Minister, took away the incentive or motive for Gold Smuggling, by freeing gold imports by virtually any one?

This could just be the beginning. The next step could be removing opaqueness in Real Estate Transactions by streamlining regulations and by appointing a Regulator for the Industry.

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