EDITORIAL : THE DAILY STAR, BANGLADESH

            

 

ACC as anti-graft body

Retain the enabling provisions

THE parliamentary standing committee on law ministry has been scrutinizing amendment proposals to ACC Act, 2004 submitted before it in bill form on February 28. It seems to have reached a water-shed. In the backdrop of ACC's reservations on some of the proposals, with civil society including jurists, the media and development partners expressing concern over the fetters being put on the anti-graft body, a rethink is apparently going on. Hopefully, it will lead to retaining the effectiveness of the ACC, and if necessary, add value to it, rather than curtailing its powers in any fundamental way.

The point at issue is the proposal insisting that permission of the government be sought and obtained to process anti-corruption cases against government officials. The chief of the parliamentary standing committee Suranjit Sengupta seems seized with the issue while finance minister AMA Muhith has evinced an active interest in giving his input. He reportedly suggested in a letter that the 'mandatory provision' to take a prior government permission to file corruption cases against government officials be scrapped. Also, the finance minister is said to be for the ACC having authority to appoint its own secretary. Suranjit's position seems to be that 'if a government servant is personally involved in corruption and assists in committing corruption the state cannot take his responsibility'. In other words, taking prior approval from the government won't be necessary there. It's cutting too fine; a stone-cast legalistic expression may be difficult to provide drawing a line between personal and otherwise. It is good to hear though that the committee has decided to examine laws, jurisdictions and procedures of FBI in the USA and CBI in India. We understand that the latest meeting of the parliamentary standing committee questioned the proposal for according blanket coverage to government officials.

The proposed provisions will not only curtail the independent working of the ACC but will also lead to discriminatory treatment between citizens and government officials. It will negate the constitutional principle of equality before law as has been pointed out by the eminent jurist Shahdeen Malik.

A commendable initiative

An eye opener, too

THE photo news carried on the front page of this paper yesterday says it all. It is a tell-tale depiction of state of affairs in perhaps many a primary school. The school is a one-staff enterprise in Manikganj town. It also shows the commitment and disposition of a lady with a missionary zeal to keep alight the cause of education.

In a way, it's only a tip of the ice berg. There must be more such schools, not necessarily a single handed venture, scattered in the nook and cranny of the country struggling to keep alive and serving. Many may have had a forced closure or are barely afloat crying for government or private sector attention.

The dismal state of affairs of our rural primary schools is nothing new. These schools are constantly under financial stress, shortages of teachers and support staff. Main

reasons being their poor pay, service conditions and lack of supervision.

The recruitment of teachers is cluttered with tedious procedures now that it has to go through a bureaucratic process instead of school committee appointing them. Some ways must be found to streamline the procedure.

Overall the Education Ministry has been doing quite a commendable job in managing the sector. It has been overseeing holding of public school exams and ensuring timely publication of books and reaching them to schools.

But situation in most primary schools in villages and districts, both government and non-government, is far from ideal. The problems have to be addressed sooner rather than later. District education offices should conduct a thorough survey of the conditions of schools all over the country and categorise them on a scale of needs for improvement and the urgency associated with these. It is only then that the ministry can come up with a development plan.

Since the government aims at universal primary education it should provide for employment and training of teachers' panels with an improved pay package and ensure education to those who are being deprived for no fault of theirs.