Corruption and inflation top govt priorities, says President

The government's preoccupation with how to tackle the allegations of corruption which have dogged it in the last few months were reflected in President Pratibha Patil's address to both Houses of Parliament at the start of the Budget Session. The President announced that India would be finally ratifying a United Nations Convention against corruption, among other measures to "address frontally the concerns regarding the lack of probity and integrity in public life."

Measures which the government appeared to have committed on include a partial public funding of elections, and a renewed commitment to bringing back Indian black money stashed abroad. She also detailed at length the direction in which a Group of Ministers on corruption will be working on. "The Group will consider issues relating to the formulation of a public procurement policy and the enunciation of public procurement standards., review and abolition of discretionary powers enjoyed by ministers, introduction of an open and competitive system of exploiting natural resources, fast tracking of cases against public servants charged with corruption, and amendments to the relevant laws to facilitate quicker action against public servants," Patil said.

The president laid out the top five priorities of the government this year, including combating inflation, sustain the momentum of economic growth, maintaining a vigil on internal security and pursue a foreign policy informed by national interest. Significantly several ministries either previously or currently being run by allies received special mention in the President's address. Sources say that this was because of a special request by ministers belong to parties which are allied to the congress, who felt that the previous speeches concentrated too much on the flag ship programmes of the UPA, invariably run by Congress ministers.

Members of Parliament (MPs) from Telengana disrupted the proceedings waving placards and raising slogans over their demand for a separate state of Telengana.

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