Government E-Payment System to be Inaugurated; will Bring Transparency; Facilitate Paperless Transaction and Reduce Overall Transaction Cost

The Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance has developed a fully secured Government e-payment system for direct credit of dues from the Government of India into the account of beneficiaries using digitally signed electronic advice (e-advice) through the ‘Government e-Payment Gateway’ (GePG). The Union Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the Government e-Payment System on Monday. Government e-Payment Gateway (GePG) is a portal which enables the successful delivery of payment services from Pay & Accounts Offices (PAOs) for online payment into beneficiaries’ accounts in a seamless manner under a secured environment. GePG serves as middleware between COMPACT (Computerized Payment and Accounts) application at Pay & Accounts Offices and the Core Banking Solution (CBS) of the agency banks/RBI to facilitate paperless transaction, reducing overall transaction cost and promoting green banking.

This system will bring transparency and expedite direct payments from central paying units relating to subsidies to the users and consumers of fertilizer, kerosene and cooking gas which is already a declared objective of the government. This will increase the adoption of other e-services due to its efficiency and ease-of-use for all Central Government Ministries and Departments for online payment transactions. The digitally signed e-advices uploaded by the PAOs on GePG portal is downloaded by the concerned banks to credit the beneficiaries’ accounts through CBS/NEFT/RTGS as applicable. The e-payment system will save time and efforts in effecting payments and will facilitate elimination of physical cheques and their manual processing. Further the constraints of manual deposit of cheque by the payees into their bank account would also be eliminated. The system will also have online reconciliation of transactions and efficient compilation of payment accounts.

Under the traditional system of government payments, paying units in central government are using cheque, cash, DD or in few ministries ECS for payments to employees and vendors. In the past few years RTGS and NET faculties provided by RBI are also being utilized for central government payments in various ministries through the banking channel.

Nitish counters PM on RTI Act Says it improves policy making and must be allowed to evolve Calls for enhancing scope of the Act to cover corporates, PPPs

In my opinion, the law has done well to bring transparency into our deliberative processes. Today we are conscious that our decisions are under public scrutiny. To that extent, the Act has made governments accountable. What's the problem in sharing with the people the process that led to the evolution of a policy? The only thing we need to do about the RTI law is - strengthen it," Nitish told The Tribune on the sidelines of the concluding session of the annual convention of Central Information Commission.

Overall, Nitish made a strong political pitch for the RTI Act at a time when some Central Ministers have been seeking its amendments in the light of recent disclosures in the 2G scam. The Bihar CM dared the Centre and other states when he said, "What is wrong if all political decisions, details of every project and scheme are placed on website?"


Source The Tribune Chandigarh

Govt version of Lokpal Bill doesn't cover corrupt first-contact officials

The government-drafted Lokpal Bill provides for an unequal and fractured response system to combat corruption: one of corporate corruption and the other common man's bribes.

Several reports, studies and opinion polls have explicitly underlined the need to combat corruption, from top to bottom. Corruption affects every citizen, but maximum are at the bottom of the pyramid. Here are three quick references.

First, a recent opinion poll. This reveals that 59% of Delhiites paid bribes to several departments in different proportions with building department topping the list, followed by sales tax and income tax, police and education. Corruption manifested mostly in the form of bribes at 37% and harassment at 42%.

Another recent survey conducted on expatriate business executives by the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy found that Indian bureaucracy is the worst in Asia. In India, as per the report, "politicians frequently promise to reform and revitalise the Indian bureaucracy, but they have been ineffective mainly because civil service is a power centre in its own right. Dealing with them can be the most frustrating experience for any Indian, let alone a foreign investor."

 
The latest edition of India Corruption Study: 2010 - produced by Centre for Media Studies after surveying 10,000 rural households in 11 states - gathered corruption data in four key sectors impacting the poor: public distribution, school education, water supply and hospital services.

It was found that the quality of services is appallingly low and corruption is unacceptably high. Its overall finding is that 95% of the households who are asked to pay bribe end up paying it. This brings out that grievance redressal system continues to be poor with lack of accountability of public service providers, despite claims made by official spokespersons.

 
This is what Team Anna's inclusive draft Bill addresses and provides for comprehensively from top to bottom of the ranks. Regrettably, the 'government of the people' draft completely ignores it. Which is why civil society is raising its voice to remedy it. Hopefully, this anomaly may see a substantial course correction through Parliament and its Standing Committee.

To be specific, the key difference in the systems approach provided in the government's Lokpal Bill and Janlokpal Bill - collectively drafted by Team Anna - is in the violation of the commitment made in the proposed Citizen's Charter to be written for each department as provided for in both draft Bills.

 
The Janlokpal Bill lays down an accessible and empowered mechanism for an aggrieved citizen to approach the district level Lokpal officer for relief. The Lokpal officer could levy a penalty on the head of the department and compensate the citizen. This is the protection and empowerment an ordinary citizen needs.

 
If the Lokpal officer turns out to be corrupt, the aggrieved person can go to the Independent Complaint Authority at the district level. This mechanism is missing from the official Lokpal Bill. It is primarily because the government's draft Bill only covers Group A services and none below the rank of joint secretary - which is limited to corporate corruption only! But all first-contact essential services where central government officials are involved, namely, railways, banks, post and telegraph, communications, civil supplies, etc, have no remedy from the government's Lokpal Bill. As for the state services, the central government is leaving state matters to the state governments.

Ironically, while there is nothing for common man's grievances in the government draft Bill, his activism has been covered. All non-profit organisations, registered or not, funded or not, but receiving donation, howsoever small, shall come within the purview of the Lokpal. They too are expected to prepare a Citizens Charter and specify their commitments, have a Public Grievances Redressal Officer and be liable for violations.

क्या भारत सुरक्षित हाथों में है?

जुलाई 2008 में यूपीए सरकार को संसद में अपना बहुमत साबित करना था। खुलेआम सांसदों की खरीद-फरोख्त चल रही थी। कुछ टीवी चैनलों ने सांसदों को पैसे लेकर खुलेआम बिकते दिखाया। उन तस्वीरों ने इस देश की आत्मा को हिला दिया। अगर सांसद इस तरह से बिक सकते हैं तो हमारे वोट की क्या कीमत रह जाती है। मैं जिस किसी सांसद को वोट करूं, जीतने के बाद वह पैसे के लिए किसी भी पार्टी में जा सकता है। दूसरे, आज अपनी सरकार बचाने के लिए इस देश की एक पार्टी उन्हें खरीद रही है। कल को उन्हें कोई और देश भी खरीद सकता है। जैसे अमेरिका, पाकिस्तान इत्यादि। हो सकता है ऐसा हो भी रहा हो, किसे पता? यह सोच कर पूरे शरीर में सिहरन दौड़ पड़ी- क्या हम एक आजाद देश के नागरिक हैं? क्या हमारे देश की संसद सभी कानून इस देश के लोगों के हित के लिए ही बनाती है?

अभी कुछ दिन पहले जब अखबारों में संसद में हाल ही में प्रस्तुत न्यूक्लियर सिविल लायबिलिटी बिल के बारे में पढ़ा तो सभी डर सच साबित होते नजर आने लगे। यह बिल कहता है कि कोई विदेशी कम्पनी भारत में अगर कोई परमाणु संयंत्र लगाती है और यदि उस संयंत्र में कोई दुर्घटना हो जाती है तो उस कम्पनी की जिम्मेदारी केवल 1500 करोड़ रुपये तक की होगी। दुनियाभर में जब भी कभी परमाणु हादसा हुआ तो हजारों लोगों की जान गयी और हजारों करोड़ का नुकसान हुआ।

भोपाल गैस त्रासदी में ही पीड़ित लोगों को अभी तक 2200 करोड़ रुपया मिला है जो कि काफी कम माना जा रहा है। ऐसे में 1500 करोड़ रुपये तो कुछ भी नहीं होते। एक परमाणु हादसा न जाने कितने भोपाल के बराबर होगा? इसी बिल में आगे लिखा है कि उस कम्पनी के खिलाफ कोई आपराधिक मामला भी दर्ज नहीं किया जायेगा और कोई मुकदमा नहीं चलाया जायेगा। कोई पुलिस केस भी नहीं होगा। बस 1500 करोड़ रुपये लेकर उस कम्पनी को छोड़ दिया जायेगा।

यह कानून पढ़कर ऐसा लगता है कि इस देश के लोगों की जिन्दगियों को कौड़ियों के भाव बेचा जा रहा है। साफ-साफ जाहिर है कि यह कानून इस देश के लोगों की जिन्दगियों को दांव पर लगाकर विदेशी कम्पनियों को फायदा पहुंचाने के लिए किया जा रहा है। हमारी संसद ऐसा क्यों क्यों रही है? यकीनन या तो हमारे सांसदों पर किसी तरह का दबाव है या कुछ सांसद या पार्टियां विदेशी कम्पनियों के हाथों बिक गयी हैं।

भोपाल गैस त्रासदी के हाल ही के निर्णय के बाद अखबारों में ��ेरों खबरें छप रही हैं कि किस तरह भोपाल के लोगों के हत्यारे को हमारे देश के उच्च नेताओं ने भोपाल त्रासदी के कुछ दिनों के बाद ही राज्य अतिथि सा सम्मान दिया था और उसे भारत से भागने में पूरी मदद की थी।

इस सब बातों को देखकर मन में प्रश्न खड़े होते हैं- क्या भारत सुरक्षित हाथों में है? क्या हम अपनी जिन्दगी और अपना भविष्य इन कुछ नेताओं और अधिकारियों के हाथों में सुरक्षित देखते हैं?

ऐसा नहीं है कि हमारी सरकारों पर केवल विदेशी कम्पनियों या विदेशी सरकारों का ही दबाव है। पैसे के लिए हमारी सरकारें कुछ भी कर सकती हैं। कितने ही मंत्री और अफसर औद्योगिक घरानों के हाथ की कठपुतली बन गये हैं। कुछ औद्योगिक घरानों का वर्चस्व बहुत ज्यादा बढ़ गया है। अभी हाल ही में एक फोन टैपिंग मामले में खुलासा हुआ था कि मौजूदा सरकार के कुछ मंत्रियों के बनने का निर्णय हमारे प्रधानमंत्री ने नहीं बल्कि कुछ औद्योगिक घरानों ने लिया था। अब तो ये खुली बात हो गयी है कि कौन सा नेता या अफसर किस घराने के साथ है। खुलकर ये लोग साथ घूमते हैं। यह कहना अतिश्योक्ति नहीं होगा कि कुछ राज्यों की सरकारें और केन्द्र सरकार के कुछ मंत्रालय ये औद्योगिक घराने ही चला रहे हैं।

यही कारण है कि हमारे देश की खदानों को इतने सस्ते में इन औद्योगिक घरानों को बेचा जा रहा है। जैसे आयरन ओर की खदानें लेने वाली कम्पनियां सरकार को महज 27 रुपये प्रति टन रॉयल्टी देती हैं। उसी आयरन ओर को ये कम्पनियां बाजार में 6000 रुपये प्रति टन के हिसाब से बेचती हैं। क्या यह सीधे-सीधे देश की सम्पत्ति की लूट नहीं है?

इसी तरह से औने-पौने दामों में वनों को बेचा जा रहा है, नदियों को बेचा जा रहा है, लोगों की जमीनों को छीन-छीन कर कम्पनियों को औने-पौने दामों में बेचा जा रहा है।

इन सब उदाहरणों से एक बात तो साफ है कि इन पार्टियों, नेताओं और अफसरों के हाथ में हमारे देश के प्राकृतिक संसाधन और हमारे देश की सम्पदा खतरे में है। जल्द ही कुछ नहीं किया गया तो ये लोग मिलकर सब कुछ बेच डालेंगे।

इन सब को देखकर भारतीय राजनीति और जनतंत्र पर एक बहुत बड़ा सवालिया निशान लगता है। सभी पार्टियों का चरित्र एक ही है। हम किसी भी नेता या किसी भी पार्टी को वोट दें, उसका कोई मतलब नहीं रह जाता।

पिछले 60 सालों में हम हर पार्टी, हर नेता को आजमा कर देख चुके हैं। लेकिन कोई सुधार नहीं हुआ। इससे एक चीज तो साफ है कि केवल पार्टियाँ और नेता बदल देने से बात नहीं बनने वाली। हमें कुछ और करना पड़ेगा।

हम अपने संगठन परिवर्तन के जरिये पिछले दस सालों में विभिन्न मुद्दों पर काम करते रहे हैं। कभी राशन व्यवस्था पर, कभी पानी के निजीकरण पर, कभी विकास कार्यों में भ्रष्टाचार को लेकर इत्यादि। आंशिक सफलता भी मिली। लेकिन जल्द ही यह आभास होने लगा कि यह सफलता क्षणिक और भ्रामक है। किसी मुद्दे पर सफलता मिलती जब तक हम उस क्षेत्र में उस मुद्दे पर काम कर रहे होते, ऐसा लगता कि कुछ सुधार हुआ है।

जैसे ही हम किसी दूसरे मुद्दे को पकड़ते, पिछला मुद्दा पहले से भी बुरे हाल में हो जाता। धीरे-धीरे लगने लगा कि देश भर में कितने मुद्दों पर काम करेंगे, कहां-कहां काम करेंगे। धीरे-धीरे यह भी समझ में आने लगा कि इस सभी समस्याओं की जड़ में ठोस राजनीति है। क्योंकि इन सब मुद्दों पर पार्टियां और नेता भ्रष्ट और आपराधिक तत्वों के साथ हैं और जनता का किसी प्रकार का कोई नियंत्रण नहीं है। मसलन राशन की व्यवस्था को ही लीजिए। राशन चोरी करने वालों को पूरा-पूरा पार्टियों और नेताओं का संरक्षण है। यदि कोई राशन वाला चोरी करता है तो हम खाद्य कर्मचारी या खाद्य आयुक्त या खाद्य मंत्री से शिकायत करते हैं। पर ये सब तो उस चोरी में सीधे रूप से मिले हुए हैं। उस चोरी का एक बड़ा हिस्सा इन सब तक पहुंचता है। तो उन्हीं को शिकायत करके क्या हम न्याय की उम्मीद कर सकते हैं। यदि किसी जगह मीडिया का या जनता का बहुत दबाव बनता है तो दिखावे मात्र के लिए कुछ राशन वालों की दुकानें निरस्त कर दी जाती हैं। जब जनता का दबाव कम हो जाता है तो रिश्वत खाकर फिर से वो दुकानें बहाल कर दी जाती हैं।

इस पूरे तमाशे में जनता के पास कोई ताकत नहीं है। जनता केवल चोरों की शिकायत कर सकती है कि कृपया अपने खिलाफ कार्रवाई कीजिए। जो होने वाली बात नहीं है।

सीधे-सीधे जनता को व्यवस्था पर नियंत्रण देना होगा जिसमें जनता निर्णय ले और नेता व अफसर उन निर्णयों का पालन करें। क्या ऐसा हो सकता है? क्या 120 करोड़ लोगों को कानूनन निर्णय लेने का अधिकार दिया जा सकता है?

वेसे तो जनतंत्र में जनता ही मालिक होती है। जनता ने ही संसद और सरकारों को जनहित के लिए निर्णय लेने का अधिकार दिया है। संसद, विधानसभाओं और सरकारों ने इस अधिकारों का जमकर दुरुपयोग किया है। उन्होंने पैसे खाकर खुलेआम और बेशर्मी से जनता को और जनहित को बेच डाला है और इस लूट में लगभग सभी पार्टियाँ हिस्सेदार हैं। क्या समय आ गया है कि जनता नेताओं, अफसरों और पार्टियों से अपने बारे में निर्णय लेने के अधिकार वापस ले ले?

समय बहुत कम है। देश की सत्ता और देश के साधन बहुत तेजी से देशी-विदेशी कम्पनियों के हाथों में जा रहे हैं। जल्द कुछ नहीं किया गया तो बहुत देर हो चुकी होगी। आपको पता होगा कि भ्रष्टाचार के खिलाफ सख्त कानून बनाने के लिए पूरे देश में आंदोलन जारी है। जन लोकपाल नामक इस कानून से भ्रष्टाचार नियंत्रण में काफी मदद मिलेगी। लेकिन यह लड़ाई अभी जारी है, हमें जन लोकपाल बिल संसद में भी पास कराना है इसलिए जरूरी है कि हम एकजुट रहें।

The Government of India is toiling hard to keep the Indians unaware of facts.

NEW DELHI: The foreign assets kept with Swiss banks came down by about Rs 5,00,000 crore last year, amid a global outcry against the alleged practice of providing secret accounts for black money from different countries, including India.

The securities kept by foreign entities in Swiss banks were valued at 2.39 trillion Swiss francs at the end of 2010 (about Rs 12,600,000 crore at the current exchange rates), down from 2.49 trillion Swiss francs (about Rs 13,00,000 crore) a year ago.

These are the latest figures from the Swiss National Bank (SNB).

However, the influential Swiss Bankers Association ( SBA )) has said that one should be extremely careful before drawing conclusions about value of securities held by foreign entities.

"... the changes are due to not only client behaviour (i.e. deposits and withdrawal of funds) but also to changes in the price of the securities (mainly share and bonds) held in the custody accounts and also to developments in exchange rates," SBA's Head of International Communications James Nason told PTI.

Nason noted that foreign clients probably hold more securities in euros and dollars than their Swiss counterparts.

The value of their portfolio has taken a greater bashing because of the decline in the value of the dollar and the euro vis-a-vis the Swiss franc, he added.

"A drop in value can be seen not only for foreign private clients but also for foreign commercial and foreign institutional clients," Nason pointed out.

Overall, customer holdings of securities in Swiss banks fell by 1.3 per cent to about 4.45 trillion Swiss francs in 2010.

Even though there are no definite figures on the amount of black money stashed away offshore by Indians, rough estimates had pegged the amount at around USD 1.5 trillion.

The Swiss Parliament has approved amendments to tax treaties with India and many other countries, following which the governments can now more easily secure banking information of its citizens who have deposited illegal funds in secret Swiss accounts.

Indian government is facing intense pressure from the Opposition, the Supreme Court and civil society to bring back black money stashed away in tax havens. The government has already unveiled various initiatives including studies to curb the menace of black money.

Source:  

Government seeks public views online on blackmoney issue

NEW DELHI: The government today created an email id for public to send their ideas and inputs to tackle issues arising out of black money.

 
The email -- bm-feedback@nic.in -- has been created on the server of the National Informatics Centre and the public can send their responses on the subject with immediate effect, a senior Finance Ministry officer said.

"General public can send in their responses and inputs like imposing penalties and making penal provisions to tackle with the issue," the officer said.

 
The government has already constituted a committee headed by Central Board of Direct Taxes Chairman Prakash Chandra to devise new strategies to deal with the issue. The committee is expected to submit its recommendations in the next six months.

 
The email account will be continuously monitored by Finance Ministry officials and they would place the messages before the committee headed by the CBDT Chairman.

Protecting Whistleblowers Panel wants law to cover PM, SC judges & forces

The government has come under intense pressure to address corruption in high places, with the Parliamentary panel reviewing the much-awaited law on the protection of whistleblowers recommending the inclusion of the PM, the Council of Ministers and of the SC judges in the scope of the law.

Rejecting the original “Public Interest Disclosure and Protection of Persons Making Disclosures Bill” introduced in the Lok Sabha last August, the Standing Committee on Law and Justice has further asked the government to cover armed forces, intelligence and security agencies under the ambit of the law to make them accountable.

In doing so, the Committee, headed by Congress leader Jayanti Natarajan, trashed the suggestions of the Ministry of Defence (which wanted the armed forces excused) and those of the Ministry of Personnel, which wanted the ministers (including the PM) left out for the present.

The Department of Personnel earlier told the committee that government officials were anyway covered by the Bill that provided mechanism for people to complain against corrupt public servants and also to protect whistleblowers.

The committee, however, ruled that the armed forces, security and intelligence officials and even members of regulatory bodies like the TRAI and the IRDA must all be made answerable for their acts. “This law will be a historic step forward in the transparency revolution to protect those who dare to bare corruption and we recommend that the government amend it to cover the ministers and higher judiciary. We further hope that the Lokpal Bill Drafting Panel would view our recommendations and draft provisions that ensure harmony and not conflict in all anti-corruption laws. That’s not to say we anticipate conflict,” Jayanti said.

The committee’s stand strengthens the hands of Anna Hazare-led civil society members in the Lokpal Bill panel, who want the PM, judges and the MPs covered by the Lokpal though government members in the panel appear resistant. A cabinet minister on the panel said the committee had no view on the issue and would go by the result of a dialogue.

Meanwhile, whistleblowers can be assured of protection of identities if the government accepts parliamentary panel’s recommendations.

“We have also said the whistleblower’s identity must not be revealed to even his head of department unless he consents to doing so in writing,” said Jayanti, who has recommended the coverage of private sector institutions by the law, which names the CVC and the state vigilance commissioners the complaint redressal authorities.

The panel has further suggested removal of the clause that bars filing of complaints older than five years; removal of a two-year penalty in case of frivolous complaints; mandatory definition of victimisation of the whistleblower, and also protection for the latter’s supporters.

Bring ministers too under its ambit’

The Parliamentary panel, while seeking the inclusion of ministers in the law, said public servants were mere instruments in the acts of corruption and the Bill would not serve any purpose if those wielding actual power were left uncovered.

Source: Tribune News Service, June 12

Service as a legal right;State should deliver without litigation

Providing time-bound government services to harried citizens is a challenge that states are increasingly taking up. Madhya Pradesh was the first in the country to pass the Public Services Guarantee Act 2010. Bihar followed with the Right to Service Act. Global watchdog Transparency International has praised both states for their attempt to limit corruption. Delhi selected five departments last year to clear files in a stipulated time and now the law is ready. UP too has prepared the Janhit Guarantee Act. Punjab has issued an Ordinance, while in Haryana the deputy commissioners have been told to ensure that 15 services are delivered in the given time schedule.

On paper these are commendable moves. Corruption at lower levels is endemic. Government officials from top to bottom sit on files waiting for bribe. Therefore, empowerment of the citizen to seek any of the stipulated services as a legal right and hold the official concerned accountable if the same is denied comes as a pleasant surprise. But there will be problems – though not insurmountable. How many have the time and money to pursue their complaints about petty services with higher or appellate authorities? Officials will be flooded with complaints. Bihar has computerised administrative work and can monitor complaints of deficient services. Officers in charge of under-staffed offices or those not obliging politicians can be harassed with fines.

For the citizen’s sake, the state’s role needs to shrink – from being a “mai-baap” to a facilitator. The official and political mindset should change. Procedures have to be simplified. The citizen should not be treated as a suspect and told to file affidavits. But cheating or fraud, if any, should be sternly dealt with. Most public services can be offered online. Instead of blindly copying Madhya Pradesh’s law states should find less complicated ways to help citizens. Laws can help up to a point. There is no alternative to good governance.

No point talking of a clean administration and not bringing it about

What the common man wants is a foolproof mechanism with the help of which he could break the wall against which he has to bang his head every day. Indeed, there are major differences over vital issues like bringing the Prime Minister and the judiciary under the purview of the proposed Bill, probing MPs’ parliamentary conduct and merging anti-corruption bodies like the CVC, the CBI and departmental vigilance wings into the office of the Lokpal.

Anna Hazare’s movement was only a manifestation of that disillusionment. Whether the Lokpal will be the right tool to curb corruption is secondary. What matters is that the public is sick and tired of the present corrupt system. How to get rid of this menace is what matters the most. But the political class, in cahoots with the business and the bureaucracy, has instead tried to discredit the public protests. Sidelining the Gandhian form of public protests would be dangerous because that would bring into picture the radical elements which swear by violent means of protest. The politicians should treat Anna’s men as their friends instead of adversaries, for they represent the voice of the people. It is no point talking of a clean administration and not bringing it about.  

Election Commission of India; Reforms on the agenda

An attempt to build consensus over electoral reforms will be made in July at a conference of political parties. The conference will deliberate on proposals finalized by the Election Commission after holding several regional consultations in various parts of the country.

Debarring people accused of various crimes from contesting elections as soon as the courts frame charges and greater transparency in the working of political parties through internal democracy and financial accountability are just two of the proposals in the report being prepared. There is also a proposal that the political parties should receive donations through cheques.

Another proposal suggests that nobody be allowed to contest from more than one seat in an election. Presently, if a candidate contests from more than one seat, and wins from all, he is allowed to retain just one seat. This necessitates by-elections, which also amounts to betrayal of the faith of the voter. Meanwhile, India is fast emerging as the ‘Global Guru’ of election management. Having successfully conducted elections since its inception in 1950, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is now gearing up to provide its expertise to the Arab world.

The first country on its agenda is Egypt, where a people’s movement brought down the 30-year-old regime of President Hosni Mubarak early this year. As the Arab nation prepares for parliamentary elections in September, to be followed by presidential polls, ECI’s help has been sought to ensure a smooth election.

The Egyptian side wanted to share India’s experience in areas like voter education and electoral participation, EVMs and technology based election tracking and facilitation systems, confided Akshay Rout, Director General of the ECI. There was also keen interest in the techniques used by the ECI for tracking election processes like SMS, voters’ helpline and videography.

Egypt is not the only country. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) earlier this month invited the ECI for a meeting in Cairo to provide help to other nascent democracies in the Arab region. Mexico and South Africa were the other countries invited for the meeting.

The ECI is also discussing with the governments of Delhi and Haryana for land acquisition and for subsequent construction of a campus for the India International Institute of Election Management at New Delhi. 

In the past, the commission has extended election management support on request to a number of countries, i.e. Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Cambodia, South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. It has also signed MoUs with the UN and electoral bodies of Ivory Coast, Mexico, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Brazil and Russia and is in the process of finalising accords with Nepal, Mauritius, Egypt, Thailand and Indonesia. 

Lokpal panel agrees to speed up bill drafting process

New Delhi, May 23 (PTI) The negotiations on a draft Lokpal Bill today gained momentum with Government and civil society members agreeing on a number of basic principles of the proposed law and deciding to meet more often.

Emerging from a three-hour meeting, Union Minister Kapil Sibal expressed confidence draft Lokpal Bill would be ready by June 30, as announced in a government notification, in time for introduction in the Monsoon session of Parliament.

The meeting chaired by Finance Minister Mukherjee took place in the backdrop of co-chairman Shanti Bhushan raising the issue of slow progress on drafting the bill and expressing doubts whether the June 30 deadline would be met.

He said that there was consensus on almost half of the 40 points brought to the table by the Anna Hazare''s five-member team and the discussion on the same would continue when the Joint Drafting Committee meets again on May 30.

Bringing the higher judiciary and the Prime Minister within the ambit of the Lokpal were still sticking points and discussion on the same is expected to be taken up at the next meeting.

Hazare''s team today presented a set of suggestions from some other civil society groups on the Lokpal Bill which also included recommendations of the public hearings on the issue held at various places across the country.

Sibal said that suggestions from other civil activists on the bill were welcome.

He said there was complete agreement on the issue of the authority of Lokpal being independent without any interference from the government.

PTI SKU AMR

Jan Lokpal Bill: Anti-graft crusaders take it to people

NEW DELHI: Social activists sat down with members of the civil society in Shahdara on Sunday to generate awareness on the Jan Lokpal Bill. The public consultation was organized under the aegis of 'India Against Corruption' and 'Corruption Prevention Social Welfare Organization' (CPSWO). 

"We are trying to take the Bill to the people and inform them of its contents. We are reaching out to residents of New Delhi through organizations working in this direction, pamphlets and movies," said Rishikesh Kumar, member of India Against Corruption, at the meet. 

Other speakers included Ramesh Jha, lecturer, mathematics department, Delhi University; Anita Maan, president, CPSWO; and Vijay Saxena, vice-president, CPSWO. The meet was not exclusive to Shahdara, though; it extended to Rohini and Indirapuram, too. Six such meetings have already been held in the capital and plans are afoot to hold at least 60 more meetings in the days to come, said Kumar. 

"In the last 15-20 days, a lot of such activities have taken place across the country. Everyone at the individual level is doing something or the other in this direction. We are seeking public suggestions, which will then be forwarded to the joint committee to improve the Bill," said Arvind Kejriwal. 

Apart from organizing such meets, India Against Corruption is also planning to travel from New Delhi to Bhopal to educate the masses about the Bill against graft. 

"The Jan Chetna Yatra will begin on May 24th and will be a seven-day march, covering areas like Delhi, Faridabad, Mathura, Gwalior, Jhansi etc," said Chauhan. 

He added: "There will be no leaders in this yatra, but about 10 volunteers, who will begin their journey from New Delhi. They will have several stops during which they will hold interactions with people. " 

TOI spoke to a few attendees at the Sunday summit to gauge their reaction to it. One Rekha Yadav said: "I am a housewife and I did not know what the Bill was all about. But today, they told us several useful things about it, including the names of the bodies involved, the right people to approach with complaints, etc. I might not know everything about it, but I do know where to go when I am harassed by corrupt people." 

Source:  TOI May 23, 2011, 05.57am IST

Govt pre-empts SIT, sets up panel to track black money

NEW DELHI: In an attempt to pre-empt a proposal to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT), the Centre informed the Supreme Court on Monday that it would set up a 10-member high-powered supervisory committee to track black money and their linkage to terror funding and drug syndicates.

The revenue secretary will head the committee which will include directors of CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and chiefs of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Financial Intelligence Bureau (FIU), Foreign Trade and Tax division as well as deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

"This committee will start work immediately. Every time any of the investigating agencies comes across some information about black money -- both abroad and domestic -- it will be shared with other agencies and investigation will be coordinated. The revenue secretary will submit periodic status reports to the court," solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam said.

During the last hearing, the Bench of Justices B Sudershan Reddy and S S Nijjar had asked the Centre to respond to why an SIT not be set up to track black money as the government appeared to have done nothing concrete and why names of foreign bank account holders who had stashed black money there not be disclosed.

The Centre's pre-emptive measure of announcing a special committee did not cut ice with petitioner Ram Jethmalani, whose counsel and senior advocate Anil Divan said, "It is just old wine in a new bottle. All these agencies were already party to the petition and nothing concrete was done on this issue. The government wants to exclude an independent eye on the probe into black money for obvious reasons."

Subramaniam said the revenue secretary-headed special committee would be more effective than SIT. "The committee will not only supervise ongoing probe against suspected hawala dealer Hasan Ali Khan and Liechtenstein's LGT Bank account holders but all future black money cases," he said.

He said because the government did not disclose the names of foreign account holders in compliance with the Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty (DTAA), there was a steady flow of information about such accounts held by others.

"The Foreign Intelligence Unit and other agencies are already looking into 37 such cases, both foreign and domestic black money accounts held by Indians. This is in addition to Hasan Ali Khan and the 16 LGT Bank account holders who are already under the scanner," he said.

Subramaniam opposed SIT on the ground that the members would not be able to proceed fruitfully against the offenders because the Prevention of Money Laundering Act provisions specify that statements given only to officials of ED were admissible in court. "If such statements were recorded by SIT members who are not part of ED, then it would not be admissible in court," he said. The arguments will continue on Thursday.

Source:  The Times of India NEW DELHI: In an attempt to pre-empt a proposal to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT), the Centre informed the Supreme Court on Monday that it would set up a 10-member high-powered supervisory committee to track black money and their linkage to terror funding and drug syndicates.

The revenue secretary will head the committee which will include directors of CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and chiefs of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Financial Intelligence Bureau (FIU), Foreign Trade and Tax division as well as deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

"This committee will start work immediately. Every time any of the investigating agencies comes across some information about black money -- both abroad and domestic -- it will be shared with other agencies and investigation will be coordinated. The revenue secretary will submit periodic status reports to the court," solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam said.

During the last hearing, the Bench of Justices B Sudershan Reddy and S S Nijjar had asked the Centre to respond to why an SIT not be set up to track black money as the government appeared to have done nothing concrete and why names of foreign bank account holders who had stashed black money there not be disclosed.

The Centre's pre-emptive measure of announcing a special committee did not cut ice with petitioner Ram Jethmalani, whose counsel and senior advocate Anil Divan said, "It is just old wine in a new bottle. All these agencies were already party to the petition and nothing concrete was done on this issue. The government wants to exclude an independent eye on the probe into black money for obvious reasons."

Subramaniam said the revenue secretary-headed special committee would be more effective than SIT. "The committee will not only supervise ongoing probe against suspected hawala dealer Hasan Ali Khan and Liechtenstein's LGT Bank account holders but all future black money cases," he said.

He said because the government did not disclose the names of foreign account holders in compliance with the Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty (DTAA), there was a steady flow of information about such accounts held by others.

"The Foreign Intelligence Unit and other agencies are already looking into 37 such cases, both foreign and domestic black money accounts held by Indians. This is in addition to Hasan Ali Khan and the 16 LGT Bank account holders who are already under the scanner," he said.

Subramaniam opposed SIT on the ground that the members would not be able to proceed fruitfully against the offenders because the Prevention of Money Laundering Act provisions specify that statements given only to officials of ED were admissible in court. "If such statements were recorded by SIT members who are not part of ED, then it would not be admissible in court," he said. The arguments will continue on Thursday.

Source:  The Times of India 26th April, 2011.  

ईमानदारी को जीतने दें-किरण बेदी

चंडीगढ़, शनिवार, 23 अप्रैल 2011( 18:25 IST )

लोकपाल विधेयक प्रारूप समिति में नागरिक समाज के प्रतिनिधियों में कुछ के विवादों के घेरे में आने के बीच पूर्व आईपीएस अधिकारी किरण बेदी ने शनिवार को कहा कि मीडिया समेत सभी नागरिकों की यह सुनिश्चित करने जिम्मेदारी है कि इस समय आरोप कामयाब न हो बल्कि सच्चाई और ईमानदारी की जीत हो।

भ्रष्टाचार के खिलाफ गाँधीवादी नेता अण्णा हजारे की मुहिम में अग्रणी रहीं बेदी ने एक कार्यक्रम के अवसर पर कहा कि सच्चाई और ईमानदारी जीतनी चाहिए। इस समय आरोप कामयाब न हो और यह सुनिश्चित करना हमारी सामूहिक जिम्मेदारी है। उन्होंने मीडिया पर यह जिम्मेदारी डाल दी कि इस समय किन चीजों को प्रमुखता दी जानी चाहिए।

देश की पहली महिला आईपीएस अधिकारी ने कहा कि यह आपको तय करना है कि किसके झूठ को आप हेडलाइन बनाना चाहते हैं और किसकी बात को आप हेडलाइन नहीं बनाना चाहते। आप अखबार में किसको स्थान देना चाहते या किसको स्थान नहीं देना चाहते। समझने का प्रयास कीजिए कि मैं क्या कहने का प्रयास कर रही हूँ। वे लोकपाल विधेयक प्रारूप समिति के कुछ नागरिक सदस्यों पर विवादों के बारे में पूछे गए सवालों का जवाब दे रही थीं।

वित्तमंत्री प्रणब मुखर्जी के इस बयान पर कि सरकार कठोर भ्रष्टाचार निरोधक कानून बनाने को लेकर आशान्वित हैं, बेदी ने कहा कि यह बहुत राहत की बात है। उधर, मुखर्जी के इस बयान के बाद कर्नाटक के लोकायुक्त संतोष हेगड़े ने लोकपाल विधेयक संयुक्त प्रारूप समिति से इस्तीफा नहीं देने का संकेत दिया है।

एक सवाल के जवाब में पूर्व आईपीएस अधिकारी ने कहा कि यदि हम एक ही दिशा में आगे बढ़ते रहते हैं और हम दिशा से नहीं भटकते हैं तो मैं मानती हूँ कि विधेयक समय पर तैयार हो जाना चाहिए। यही कारण है कि मैं यह कहती रही हूँ कि हमें यह बात दिमाग में रखनी चाहिए या समझनी चाहिए कि किन बातों को प्रमुखता दी जाए और किन्हें नहीं।

उन्होंने कहा कि समझने की बात यह है कि यह लोकपाल कानून अण्णा हजारे या भूषणद्वय के लिए नहीं बल्कि हरेक नागरिक के लिए आ रहा है। पिछले एक साल से भूषणद्वय, न्यायमूर्ति हेगड़े और अरविंद केजरीवाल इससे जुडे रहें हैं। उन्होंने कई बैठकें, कार्यशालाएँ और संगोष्ठियाँ कीं और लोगों से सुझाव माँगे। हालाँकि बेदी ने स्पष्ट किया कि यह प्रारूप अंतिम या बंद दस्तावेज नहीं है।

(भाषा)

Prime Minister’s Inaugural Address at Civil Services Day

The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh addressed the 6th Civil Services Day in New Delhi today. Following is the text of the Prime Minister’s inaugural speech on the occasion:

“ I am very happy to be amidst you on the occasion of the sixth Civil Services Day. I welcome all of you to this gathering. I also extend my greetings to all members of the Civil Services on this occasion.

Let me also congratulate the officers who have won awards today for excellence in their work. I am sure their example will inspire other civil servants to higher levels of commitment and performance in the service of our nation.

I am happy that one of the sessions today is devoted to the issue of Ethics and Transparency in Governance. This is a subject which has attracted a great deal of attention in the recent days. There is a growing feeling in the people that our laws, systems and procedures are not effective in dealing with corruption. We must recognize that there is little public tolerance now for the prevailing state of affairs. People expect swift and exemplary action and rightly so. As I have said earlier, corruption is an impediment to faster growth, and hurts the poor most. It is a challenge that we must tackle boldly and we stand committed to doing so.

Our aim is to strengthen the legislative framework, revamp administrative practices and procedures and fast track a systemic response to fighting corruption. A Group of Ministers is looking into the legal and administrative measures that can be taken in this regard. The group has a wide ranging mandate and I expect its recommendations to be available very soon. A committee of Ministers and representatives of civil society is at work to finalize the draft of a Lokpal bill, which we hope to be able to introduce during the monsoon session of Parliament. Two bills relating to judicial accountability and protection of whistle blowers have already been introduced in Parliament. We will soon ratify the United Nations Convention on Corruption. We are committed to bringing more transparency in public procurement and to ensuring that disinvestment of public utilities and allocation of public resources are done in a manner that best safeguards the interests of the asset-owning public. I urge all civil servants to contribute to our efforts in fighting corruption. Each one of you is in a position to do so in many meaningful ways and I hope to see renewed energy emanating from you in this fight. I expect you to be honest and fearless in advising your superior authorities, especially the political leadership. Those of you who serve in senior positions would do well to also encourage your subordinate officers in this direction.

People value the work done by honest and dedicated civil servants and look up to them. I would like all of you to work to strengthen the trust and faith which people still have in civil servants. The spontaneous support of the people of Malkangiri, when the Collector of the district was kidnapped by left-wing extremists, is a pointer to the extent of goodwill that well meaning and honest civil servants can achieve. I do believe that the core of the Civil Services is sound and rooted in values of integrity and fair play. It is a pity that instances of individual waywardness, of lack of moral courage, and of surrender to pressures and temptations tarnish the image of the Civil Services and lead to immense criticism and dissatisfaction. I believe it is only upto the Civil Services as a whole to set the highest standards of probity and integrity in public and personal life and to create an atmosphere and a work ethic which encourages honesty and integrity. Disapproval and even ostracization by peers and colleagues can be a powerful deterrent for those who tend to stray from the path of rectitude.

I understand that another session today has been devoted to the challenges of economic management. Our economy has been in reasonably good shape in the past seven years. We have achieved an impressive rate of growth which we were able to sustain even in the midst of the worst global financial crisis of recent times. But, during the past year and a half, persistent inflation, especially in the food sector, has become a cause for concern. Our consistent policy has been to control inflation without hurting growth. We have strived for a delicate and difficult balance to achieve this. Food prices rose following the drought in 2009. Although the situation has improved in recent months, and food inflation has come down to single digit levels, the long term solution lies in increased production and productivity in the agriculture sector. The needs of a growing and increasingly more prosperous population can only be met by enhanced production of a diversified basket of agricultural products. We have to make a concerted effort to enhance our food security. The Civil Services again have a major role to play in achieving a higher rate of growth in the agriculture sector. I hope you will pay more focused attention to this area, and more specially to the preparation and implementation of district level agricultural plans. At the state level some of the brightest officers should be appointed to critical position of agricultural development commissioners and similarly every efforts should be made to upgrade extension services.

I would also like to take this opportunity to lay stress on the importance of strengthening local level governance through panchayats and municipalities. Our country is too large to be governed effectively from the Centre or even from the State capitals. We have to decentralize power, decentralize decision-making and decentralize the implementation of various development schemes. This is the only way to involve and empower people in shaping their own future. The success of the third tier of governance is critical to improved delivery of services and better design and implementation of schemes. While the constitutional framework has been in place for some time, most states have shied away from giving effective powers and responsibilities to the third tier. Our civil servants must do their utmost to facilitate real decentralization of governance in our country.

While our overall security situation has been reasonably satisfactory in the past few months, there is no room for any relaxation of vigil on our part. Combating Left Wing extremism, meeting terrorist challenges, countering insurgency in parts of the North-East and maintaining communal harmony and effectively dealing with atrocities on scheduled castes and scheduled tribes continue to be our top priorities. There is now evidence of better cooperation and coordination between the Centre and States in fighting terrorism. As I have stated earlier, we have drawn up an Integrated Development Programme for sixty districts affected with left-wing extremism. We are working in partnership with State Governments to provide employment to the tribal youth and to revamp the social and economic infrastructure in these remote areas. We are working for the development of the far flung areas of our vast country in an ecologically sustainable manner. We believe all these efforts will go a long way in strengthening our internal security.

The provisional population totals for Census 2011 have been released recently. While most of the news appears to be good, the falling child sex ratio is an indictment of our social values. Improving this ratio is not merely a question of stricter compliance with the existing laws. What is more important is how we view and value the girl child in our society. Our girls and women have done us proud in classrooms, in boardrooms and on the sports field. They have broken existing barriers to prove their worth in almost every sphere. It is a national shame for us that despite this, female foeticide and infanticide continue in many parts of our country. The social bias against women has to be fought with all the physical and moral resources at our command. There has to be a national campaign to counter this bias and I expect civil servants to play a big role in launching a crusade against it.

The need to re-fashion our Civil Services as effective instruments for delivery of services and as agents of improved governance is an ongoing process. The aim should be to evolve new and imaginative solutions for the problems facing us. Success would, to a large extent, depend upon a cultural change in the Civil Services. Excessive caution, reliance on precedents and following the beaten path have to give way to innovation and inventiveness and to trying out new methods. Merit, capability and quality should matter more than mere seniority. To deal with the newer challenges, civil servants also need to continuously update themselves. They have to continuously expand their horizons through learning and training. Only this would equip them to keep pace with the changing times. I hope the deliberations today will also focus on these aspects and attempt to chart a path for such change.

Before concluding, let me once again congratulate the officers who have received the Prime Minister’s Award for excellence today. I wish them and other members of the Civil Services all the very best in their efforts to build a modern and prosperous society and country.”

Source:  Press Information Bureau release dated 21st April, 2011

भ्रष्टाचार पर जनता के सब्र का बांध टूटा: पीएम

नई दिल्ली [जागरण ब्यूरो]। लोकपाल विधेयक पर कांग्रेस के तमाम सूरमा जहां सिविल सोसाइटी के खिलाफ मोर्चा खोले हुए हैं, वहीं सरकार और संगठन का शीर्ष नेतृत्व इस मुद्दे पर पूरी गंभीरता दर्शा रहा है। भ्रष्टाचार के मुद्दे पर सिविल सोसाइटी से बड़ी लकीर खींचने की कोशिश के तहत प्रधानमंत्री ने देश के वरिष्ठ नौकरशाहों के बीच लोकपाल विधेयक संसद के अगले सत्र में पेश करने की उम्मीद जताई। सिविल सर्विस दिवस पर वरिष्ठ नौकरशाहों के बीच प्रधानमंत्री ने चेतावनी भी दी कि अब भ्रष्टाचार के खिलाफ जनता के सब्र का बांध टूट गया है। सरकार इससे सख्ती के साथ निपटने के लिए प्रतिबद्ध है, क्योंकि जनता तुरंत कार्रवाई चाहती है।

कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष सोनिया गांधी के अन्ना हजारे को पत्र लिखकर भ्रष्टाचार से कोई भी समझौता न करने और लोकपाल विधेयक लाने पर प्रतिबद्धता जताने के बाद प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह ने उसी लाइन को और आगे बढ़ाया। उन्होंने कहा कि 'हम इस बात को पहचानें कि जनता अब भ्रष्टाचार केमौजूदा मौहाल को कतई बर्दाश्त करने को तैयार नहीं है। जनता इसके खिलाफ फौरी और सख्त कार्रवाई चाहती है और उसकी अपेक्षा बिल्कुल जायज है।' उन्होंने भ्रष्टाचार को बड़ी चुनौती बताते हुए कहा हमें निडरता से इसका मुकाबला करना है।

देश के वरिष्ठ नौकरशाहों से सिंह ने कहा कि 'मैं आपसे उम्मीद करता हूं कि अपने उच्च अधिकारियों, खासतौर पर राजनीतिक नेतृत्व को आप ईमानदार और बेखौफ सलाह देंगे। सरकार का लक्ष्य भ्रष्टाचार से लड़ने के लिए विधायी ढांचे को मजबूत करना, प्रशासनिक ढांचे को चुस्त-दुरुस्त बनाना और प्रक्रियात्मक पहलुओं को रफ्तार देने का है।' उन्होंने याद दिलाया कि इसी उद्देश्य के लिए मंत्रियों का एक समूह जरूरी सलाह-मशविरा भी कर रहा है। जल्द ही इसकी सिफारिशें मिल जाने की उम्मीद है।

इस मौके पर प्रधानमंत्री ने यह भी एलान किया कि सरकार शीघ्र ही भ्रष्टाचार के बारे में संयुक्त राष्ट्र संधि पर हस्ताक्षर करने जा रही है। सरकार सार्वजनिक खरीद में पारदर्शिता लाने को प्रतिबद्ध है। लोकपाल विधेयक का मसौदा तैयार करने वाली संयुक्त समिति गठित का जिक्र करते हुए उन्होंने भ्रष्टाचार के खिलाफ उठाए गए सरकार के कदमों को भी गिनाया। उन्होंने कहा कि न्यायिक जवाबदेही और गड़बड़ियों का भंडाफोड़ करने वालाें को सुरक्षा प्रदान करने संबंधी विधेयकों को संसद में पहले ही पेश किया जा चुका है।

Right to Recall.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A recall election (also called a recall referendum or representative recall) is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote (plebiscite), initiated when sufficient voters sign a petition. Recall has a history dating back to the ancient Athenian democracy and is a feature of several contemporary constitutions.

Canada

The Province of British Columbia enacted representative recall in 1995. In that province, voters in a provincial riding can petition to have a sitting representative removed from office, even a Premier presently leading a government. If enough registered voters sign the petition, the Speaker of the legislature announces before the House that the member has been recalled and a by-election follows as soon as possible, giving voters the opportunity to replace the politician in question. By January 2003, 22 recall efforts had been launched. No one has been recalled so far, but one representative, Paul Reitsma, resigned in 1998 when it looked as if the petition to recall him would have enough signatures to spur a recall election. Reitsma resigned during the secondary verification stage, and the recall count ended.

Switzerland

While recall referenda are not provided for at the federal level in Switzerland, six cantons allow them:

• Bern: Recall of the executive and legislative is possible since 1846. 30,000 signatures (4% of all adult citizens) are required to trigger a recall referendum. There has been one unsuccessful attempt to recall the executive in 1852.
• Schaffhausen: Recall of the executive and legislative is possible since 1876. 1,000 signatures (2% of all adult citizens) are required to trigger a recall referendum. There has been one unsuccessful attempt to recall the executive in 2000.
• Solothurn: Recall of the executive and legislative is possible since 1869. 6,000 signatures (3% of all adult citizens) are required to trigger a recall referendum. There has been one unsuccessful attempt to recall the executive and legislative in 1995.
• Ticino: Recall of the executive is possible since 1892. 15,000 signatures (7% of all adult citizens) are required to trigger a recall referendum. There has been one unsuccessful recall attempt in 1942. In addition, recall of municipal executives is possible since 2011. Signatures of 30% of all adult citizens are required to trigger a recall referendum.
• Thurgau: Recall of the executive and legislative is possible since 1869. 20,000 signatures (13% of all adult citizens) are required to trigger a recall referendum. There have been no recall attempts.
• Uri: Recall of the executive and legislative is possible since 1988. 600 signatures (3% of all adult citizens) are required to trigger a recall referendum. In addition, recall of municipal executives and legislatives is possible since 2011. Signatures of 10% of registered voters are required to trigger a recall referendum. There have been no recall attempts either at the cantonal or municipal levels.

The possibility of recall referenda (together with the popular election of executives, the initiative and the legislative referendum) was introduced into several cantonal constitutions after the 1860s in the course of a broad movement for democratic reform. The instrument has never been of any practical importance – the few attempts at recall so far have failed, usually because the required number of signatures was not collected – and it was abolished in the course of constitutional revisions in Aargau (1980), Baselland (1984) and Lucerne (2007). But the possibility of recalling municipal executives was newly introduced in Ticino in 2011, with 59% of voters in favor, as a reaction to the perceived problem of squabbling and dysfunctional municipal governments.

United States

Recall first appeared in Colonial America in the laws of the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1631. This version of the recall involved one elected body removing another official. During the American Revolution the Articles of Confederation stipulated that state legislatures might recall delegates from the continental congress.^[3] According to New York Delegate John Lansing, the power was never exercised by any state. The Virginia Plan, issued at the outset of the Philadelphia Convention of 1787, proposed to pair recall with rotation in office, and to apply these dual principles to the lower house of the national legislature. The recall was rejected by the Constitutional Convention. However, the anti-Federalists used the lack of recall provision as a weapon in the ratification debates.
Several states proposed adopting a recall for U.S. Senators in the years immediately following the adoption of the Constitution. However, it did not pass.
Along with the initiative, the referendum, and the direct primary, the recall election was one of the major electoral reforms advocated by leaders of the Progressive movement in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, although it was initially proposed in William S. U'Ren's Oregon newspaper. Recall elections do not take place at the federal level. The majority of states allow recall elections in local jurisdictions, but only eighteen states permit recall elections to remove state officials and a nineteenth state, Illinois, allows it for Governors only.^[4] The modern day father of the recall is considered to be Dr. John Randolph Haynes, who formed the Direct Legislation League of California in 1900. Los Angeles became the first major city to adopt the recall in 1903.
Only two governors have ever been successfully recalled. In 1921, Lynn Frazier, Governor of North Dakota, was recalled during a dispute about state-owned industries, and in 2003, Governor Gray Davis of California was recalled over the state budget. Additionally, A recall was approved against Arizona Governor Evan Meacham, but he was impeached and convicted before it got on the ballot.
In Alaska, Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Rhode Island, and Washington, specific grounds are required for a recall. Some form of malfeasance or misconduct while in office must be identified by the petitioners. The target may choose to dispute the validity of the grounds in court, and a court then judges whether the allegations in the petition rise to a level where a recall is necessary. In the November 2010 general election, Illinois passed a referendum to amend the state constitution to allow a recall in light of ex-Governor Rod Blagojevich's corruption scandal. In the other eleven states that permit state-wide recall, no grounds are required and recall petitions may be circulated for any reason. However, the target is permitted to submit responses to the stated reasons for recall.
The minimum number of signatures and the time limit to qualify a recall vary between states. In addition, the handling of recalls once they qualify differs. In some states, a recall triggers a simultaneous special election, where the vote on the recall, as well as the vote on the replacement if the recall succeeds, are on the same ballot. In the 2003 California recall election, over 100 candidates appeared on the replacement portion of the ballot. In other states, a separate special election is held after the target is recalled, or a replacement is appointed by the Governor or some other state authority.