Lucknow: Press Council Chairman Justice Markandey Katju on Tuesday trashed the idea of setting up Lokpal saying it was "completely unworkable" and the proposed
anti-graft body would not be able to cope with the lakhs of complaints it may receive.
"Lakhs of complaints will come which cannot be handled
by one person, therefore 55,000 Lokpals would be required.
Lokpal would be required in every district," Katju told
reporters, adding he had been silent on the issue till now as
people would say that he was "supporting corruption".
"What is the guarantee that they would not turn corrupt.
I feel that they would definitely become blackmailers," Katju
said.
"You want to create a parallel bureaucracy then how
will the government fuction..this is completely unworkable,"
he said.
Katju said that as there are over 50 lakh government
employees and lakhs of complaints may be filed which cannot be
handled by one person.
Justice Katju said this would involve infrastructure and
expenditure including salary, accommodation, staff and office
place.
"Till now I was silent as I thought people would say
that I am supporting corruption, but common sense has to be
used," he said. He, however, praised Anna Hazare.
"To me Anna Hazare seems to be an honest man, but he
does not have a scientific approach," Katju said.
"Are problems solved by slogan shouting. From my point
of view as far as Jan Lokpal in concerned no government will
be able to function under it," he said.
PTI
