This is the kind of suggestion many ordinary citizens have in mind. No one can or should presume that Politicians do not require money. In fact their needs are more. When a top level CEO of a big company makes crores of Rupees in India, how would the Politician feel getting peanuts while dealing with hundreds of crores of rupees worth project clearances.Technically they do not have any means of earning except those who have Industries and other businesses. There also one finds that their income increases in leaps and bounds while the business is flat. So one can understand if not given a chance to receive handsome salaries they will find other options.
Corporate Salary is paid to: 1) Properly educated, 2) Good Experience, 3) Ability to Deliver, 4) Leader 5) Wise and Intelligent, 5) device ways to achieve project completion within the policies devised by the company. Now , none of the above qualities are possessed by 99.9% of politicians, so why they should be paid huge salary and what will it do if they are paid that much? Not even a 0.0001% people of India will accept that these politicians will follow the path of truthfulness. If you want to pay the corporate salaries to the politicians, than first let these corporate becomes the politicians.
One would disagree with Narayan Murthy when he advises to pay politicians corporate salaries to weed out corruption. Corruption was due to dishonesty and loss of character and not due to lack of income. To say that the character could be built up by higher salaries was ridiculous; often it was the other way round. Corruption and corrupt practices were not confined to politicians alone; when it was a question of cheating the government, many in the public were in collusion with the bureaucracy and politicians.
Lust for power and money know no bounds! You believe that giving them more will keep them away from the lure of easy money? What evidence does history suggest that 'Indians' who have more money have gone on to be less corrupt? It may be true for a tiny fraction of the people, but that does not justify burdening the common people even more so in terms of taxes. The politicians already enjoy enough facilities and resources given away as legitimate freebies for being government servants that their salary is not less by any means. Moreover where will the money come from? They will either tax us more or take more loans and burden country to pay such salaries. Common is already reeling under heavy inflation and price rise.
Many believe that corruption, bribery and embezzlement are the bane of India, which impede economic growth and welfare of the people. Paying politicians and bureaucrats salaries equivalent to top executives of the corporate world will not solve the problem of corruption. There should be change in the mindset of the people. Today, corruption and bribery have assumed dangerous proportions. While embezzlement of funds by public servants is rampant in central and state governments, local bodies, public sector undertakings, cooperative societies and banks, the private sector is not free from such a scourge. Corruption and bribery are found in all wings of the administrative machinery of central and state governments as well as local administration. Reports show that most of the officials who have some authority to show favor in one way or other indulge in corruption and bribery.
Recently, the volume of funds involved in corrupt practices have shown upward spiral. In addition to the corruption in the routine administrative machinery, vast amount running to hundreds of crores of rupees is reported to be received by corrupt politicians and bureaucrats for the allotment of natural resources of the country such as coal blocks, iron ore deposits, petrol/gas blocks, copper mines, bauxite deposits, and spectrum rights. The various scams, scandals and frauds which have come to light are a cause of consternation of the public. Some of the largest sources of corruption in India are entitlement programmes and social spending schemes enacted by the Indian government. Other daily sources of corruption include India's trucking industry which is forced to pay billions in bribes annually to numerous regulatory and police stops on its interstate highways. Corruption and bribery are the root cause of black money, which is acting as a stumbling block to unsure inclusive growth and development of the country. It is the root cause of growing inequality and deprivation.
One can see as much corruption in the corporate sector as well who were paid astronomically high salaries when compared to the wage levels prevailing in the country. Look at the tax evasion that goes on in the private sector; or generation of black money, kickbacks, under-invoicing of exports and over invoicing of imports with a view to stash away money from the companies to personal accounts abroad, siphoning out funds from the companies by questionable means of appointing selling and buying agents by the promoters; outright stealing of minerals and so on. Barring a few in the top echelon in the private sector, the salaries for the government employees and politicians were better paid than their counter parts in the private sector. Total employment in the organized sector was 28 million only, who were paid decent wages with social security benefits, according to standards prevailing in India. Of this 18 M were in the public sector and only 10 m in private sector. The average salary in the private sector was lower than in the government sector if all perquisites were considered. But in the private sector a few in the top were paid huge salaries arbitrarily while the rest get a pittance; yet corrupt practices as mentioned above prevail.
Very serious measures have to be undertaken to at least reduce the incidence of corruption. All sections of population have to change the mindset. While people should shun give bribe, those who bribe should introspect. For a harmonious development of the country the per-requisite is to end widespread bribery and corruption.
Now, Central and State Governments had increased salaries of employees, to live comfortably. Why still Government employees resort to bribery and corruption? Answer is people want to accumulate money for generations to come….. very sad.
- Does politician do corruption equivalent to compensate their salary with corporate counterpart?
- Salaries of Railway employees have gone n times in last decade, Any difference?
- Salaries of teaching faculty have gone up in schools and colleges, any difference?
- Salaries of Policemen have gone up, any difference?
- What politician are getting as perks are beyond corporate world. Our Finance minister to note that if you add up perks for all MLA and MP and tax them on this where will they land?
- Politicians spend huge amount on elections. Will corporate salary will be enough to compensate amount expended?
- Why system is not place to use the network of Income Tax Department and Banks to identify ill practices of corruption and black money generation? When common man can be traced for non-payment of tax on the income generated why not politicians? We can have system which coordinates among income tax, wealth tax, Property registrar and Banks etc.
- Government should declare the fund allotted for each and every ministry for welfare and development and it should be available in some common portal. Citizens can then see where all the money is getting filtered. Why is this not so far implemented?
Politicians are getting much more than that and this is never going to make them behave properly. The only thing that can make them behave, is modifying/changing the existing system of seeking prior permission to probe and prosecute. If it is changed into beginning immediate probe and prosecuting them if the courts find prima-facie a case and making them understand that they can be jailed for life or may even be given death sentence, will bring the desired results. As of now, there is no fear of punishment among them and the bureaucrats/ top officials and that is why the nation is being looted so ruthlessly.
Recently Ranbaxy was fined USD 500 million for selling sub-standard products and not conforming to good manufacturing practices. Were they indulging in such practices for want of proper remuneration? But such companies continue to sell spurious products in the country and get away from being caught as they 'manage' the system well. Dishonesty has nothing to do with the salary one receives. Mr Murthy may introspect as to how many in the corporate sector who get sky-high salaries shoulder the responsibilities of a District Collector who was paid a fraction of their salaries? Public service, whether a member of a village Panchayat or an MP, requires a different mindset and commitment that cannot be put in terms of money.
We can agree to this if they can take it out of the Swiss loot that is present and share it amongst themselves, like how a family divides its wealth, all Neta's can enjoy salaries from loots of all Neta's!.
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