The Hindu Business Line : Throw them out!

THE stunningly pungent observations of the Supreme Court Bench made in exasperation at the impunity with which the top rungs of various political parties and their favourites as also, surprisingly, some media persons, had clung to posh bungalows in choice localities far beyond the period of their entitlement are well-deserved. These are the people who shed crocodile tears at the plight of the country's poor millions who have to live in intolerable conditions in slums and on pavements.

This is not the first time that they have been publicly taken to task for misusing their privileges in blatant disregard of norms of propriety and probity. Nor is this the only kind known to them of abuse of their entitlements. They have ridden out with aplomb frequent exposes of default of crore of rupees in rent, and electricity and water charges. Whether it is going to be easier this time to cleanse the Augean stables is anybody's guess. For, vested interests have long perfected the fine art of ducking any number of strictures and continuing with condemnable transgressions.

It is a shameful commentary on the functioning of the departments and agencies of the State and Central governments that private citizens and voluntary groups have to invoke, at great trouble and expense to themselves, the intervention of High Courts and the Supreme Court even in matters of day-to-day administration or enforcement of laws that are the very basis of good governance.

Without the Courts exercising their clout and giving a push, even simple duties, which should have been carried out in the normal course by the government officials themselves, remain neglected, whether it is a question of registering a First Information Report at the police station on the commission of a crime, taking up investigation of cases, executing non-bailable warrants issued by Courts against offenders, controlling the use of loudspeakers, bursting of crackers, smoking in public places and similar nuisance, or adherence by industrial units, public transport vehicles and the like to safeguards relating to prevention of pollution, degradation of environment and so on. This is because conscientious officials invariably come to grief. The only sure remedy is to infuse them with the courage to discharge their duties as they ought to, but as of now this seems a far cry.

B. S. Raghavan

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