Transparency would root out corruption: Chandy

The chief minster Oommen Chandy has said that transaparency and honesty in administrative procedures would root out corruption. He was inaugurating a function to honour Gandhians in connection with the golden jubilee celebrations of the Kerala Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi.

Chandy emphasised the aspect of transparency, endorsing that transparent administration would go a long way in minimising corruption.

"It is time that we introduce an attitudinal shift focusing on the theme that people are the real masters and the rulers mere trustees," he said. "It is impossible to check corruption with laws. For what is needed is a shift in attitude. Gandhiji’s message to the world stressed the need for society to react against injustice and crime".

The crisis in the present day society, Chandy said, is of course because people are moving away from Gandhiji. "What Gandhiji gave to the world was a philosophy that would stop the society on its tracks when it turned away from truth and love," he said.

He said the government would do everything possible to check the menace of alchoholism and tobacco abuse. He said the Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi could spearhead a campaign against such bad habits. "One of the first actions of the government was to declare a pension of Rupees 2000 for those involved in the promotion of Khadi and Hindi," Chandy said.

The chief minister honoured three veteran Gandhians - Choolor V Bhaskaran Nair,  E Narayan Pillai, and K P Madhavan Nambiar. Chairman of the Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi, P Gopinathan Nair, presided over the function. Working chairman, N Radhakrishnan, inaugurated the Gandhi darsan programme for school children. N Nanukuttan Nair, M Sivasankaran Nair, G Sankaran Nair, G Sadanandan, and N Gopalakrishan Nair also addressed the crowd.